


Lessons on Gentlemanly Behavior

by Nienna



Series: Lessons on Gentlemanly Behavior Timeline [1]
Category: Tales of Graces
Genre: Drama, Humor, M/M, Post L&L, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-08-20
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:19:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 36,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nienna/pseuds/Nienna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on skit #249 - Gentlemanly Behavior. Asbel finally realizes he needs to learn how to act like a proper gentleman, and Richard is more than willing to help. However, as the time they spend together gradually tugs at Asbel's heart, he wonders if etiquette is the only thing he will be taught...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Ball

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is... very old... so here's the obligatory "I'm sorry for the super rough writing" disclaimer. I was still figuring out how to write fanfiction when I started this one so the beginning is pretty much a mess... but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

If one inquired King Richard, ruler of the great country of Windor, on the nature of his best friend Lord Asbel Lhant's greatest virtue, the eloquent monarch would find himself at a loss for words. Richard would consider Asbel's cheerfulness, his bravery, his loyalty, his devotion, his selflessness, his striking collarbones (though he'd definitely keep that one to himself), among many other things; but, ultimately, he would be unable to come to a decision.

And, if one were to inquire about Asbel's greatest flaw, the King would merely smile and affirm with all certainty that his dear friend was absolutely perfect. Or, more precisely, that would've been his statement if it wasn't for the previous night's events - for Richard had, finally, realized that even Asbel had room to improve.

A _lot_ of room to improve.

* * *

Barona was in a festive spirit.

After long months of crisis - from two royal assassinations, to eleth depletion, to the appearance of bizarre monsters - Windor was at last free of strife. King Richard had declared his extermination expeditions finished, the last nova monster having been felled by his and his knights' blades. It was now time to celebrate; and while the common people enjoyed themselves in the city, the Windorian aristocracy gathered in the castle for the first time since the newest king's coronation.

And, at the present time, a certain noble almost regretted having been born under such a title.

Asbel Lhant shuffled uneasily as he went past the royal gates. The guards shifted a glance at him, making the young lord feel even more out of place than he already did. However, knowing that it would be considerably worse in the actual ball, all Asbel could do was take a deep breath and brace himself. At least he would get to meet his best friend... that is, if he was lucky, considering how sought after Richard, the king himself, should be in an event like this.

Once among a sea of nobility in the castle's great hall, Asbel wondered what he should do until Richard made his appearance. He wasn't familiar with any of the Windorian nobles - other than Duke Dalen, which was almost as unattainable as Richard himself - so he expected to do no more than wander around, nibbling on fancy food and sipping elaborate drinks. Which, now that he thought about it, didn't sound half bad...

"Lord Asbel Lhant?"

Asbel turned, surprise clear on his face; a complete stranger approached him with a broad smile, introducing himself through elegant gestures. Asbel smiled sheepishly, unsure of what to do. He settled for a clumsy bow, which earned a frown from the fellow noble.

"It's an honor to meet you, Lord Asbel," the man declared, regaining his composure - though not his smile. "I've heard of your many exploits in favor of our great king. Is it true that the two of you are childhood friends?"

It was Asbel's turn to frown. So that's what it was about? Trying to gain the king's privilege by mingling with the young lord who had the reputation of being close to him? This nobleman was someone who saw friendship as a mean to an end - and Asbel couldn't accept that. Therefore, he decided to speak his mind, not censoring a single work. Damned be politics!

Asbel's harsh reply had the nobleman back into the frowning contest, and there was no doubt he was the clear winner. He scoffed, turned, and left without a single word, leaving Asbel with the initial feeling of victory - and then crushing defeat.

What if his fame of Asbel Lhant, best friend of the king, became Asbel Lhant, rudest friend of the king? He couldn't hurt Richard's reputation like that! The King of Windor was known for having impeccable taste, whether for clothing, haircuts, decoration, or _company_ \- and Asbel refused to have it tarnished.

He decided he would be nicer to whoever approached him next. Redeemed be politics!

And so, for the sake of his best friend, Asbel talked to every single noble who approached him next. He strove to be as polite as he possibly could, to smile at all times, and to be a pleasant company.

But something must have been missing, for despite his efforts, everyone who talked to him scoffed and left after a few words. Either he was doing something terribly wrong, or the Windorian aristocracy was even more arrogant than he thought. Cursing politics again, Asbel went back to the original idea of stuffing his face; at least food wasn't going to be mean.

He moved to one of the generous buffets, and proceeded to quietly fill his stomach. It was during his quest to find the best-tasting curry that he heard a voice announcing the king's entrance, and Asbel did not think twice before running towards the gathering nobles; after all, Richard was one of the few things in the world better than curry.

It took but a few moments for the King of Windor to appear, looking majestic as he descended the luxurious stairway. He stopped for a brief speech and celebrated the newfound peace, while thanking his loyal subjects. After receiving a loud - for such stiff nobles - cheer, the king made his way to the crowd, and Asbel's eyes lost him.

Asbel sighed, wondering when he'd have the chance to talk to his friend. It would certainly take a while, given that the crowd showed no sign of dispersing. Without a choice, he walked back to the buffet, ready to resume his epic food quest until Richard had time to talk to him.

While in the process of identifying a gooey substance floating in his favorite dish ( _Did Richard have the cook add natto into his curry? Heresy!_ ), Asbel was interrupted by a pat on his shoulder. He turned, and nearly choked at the sight.

"Enjoying yourself, Asbel?"

"R-Richard!" He moved to hug his friend, but realizing how improper it would look to the prying eyes, he settled for a deep bow. "How did you manage to get here so fast?"

"By making many promises to converse with certain lords and ladies at a later time." Richard smiled, knowing that the present moment didn't allow for a greater display of affection. "It's good to see you, Asbel."

"It's good to see you too!" Asbel was beaming. "But... I think I'd better not keep you. You have a lot of people to talk to, right?"

"Indeed, yet I was wondering if you would care to accompany me. Although I'm sure you were enjoying yourself, food does tend to lose its entertainment factor after enough mouthfuls."

Asbel grinned; Richard was still the same. "Is it really okay, though? I mean, won't I get in the way of any important topics?"

"Important topics? Asbel, this is a ball. The only thing you might get in the way of is adulation, for which I'd have to thank you. Besides, you're not acquainted with many members of the Windorian nobility, correct? Now that you're a lord, such connections are important, as dull as establishing them may be."

Asbel had to admit that his earlier attempts at socializing had been utter failures, and having Richard with him would be an immense help. "Well, since you insist," he chuckled, "Lead the way, Your Majesty."

They spent the following hours jumping from noble to noble; or, more precisely, standing in the same place as a chain of aristocrats presented themselves before them. This time, there were no frowns or scoffs; instead, Asbel was treated impeccably, and he couldn't help but feel satisfied at his raging success at interacting. He never noticed the odd glares from the noblemen, or the subtle nudging from Richard; and it never crossed his mind that all the smiles were only flashed at him in order to please the king.

The night grew old, and Richard's endurance grew short. Politely, he bid his guests goodnight, and left for his chamber. Asbel accompanied him to the royal quarters; given that all the guestrooms designated for the royal family's close relatives were permanently empty (due to Richard's lack of them), such lodgings were appointed to the monarch's close friends.

They had left the bustling halls behind, and were moving in the tranquility of a deserted corridor. Richard was silent, his expression tired; Asbel, however, still carried the party's excitement in him.

"The ball was great, Richard! And thank you for introducing me to all those people. I'm sure knowing them will be handy."

Richard didn't reply, so Asbel continued, "It's funny how different things went when you were with me. Before you came, I was trying to... well, blend in, and it was pretty much one failure after another." He paused, as if in deep thought. "It's so weird. I wonder why they were treating me so badly before."

Suddenly, Richard halted. Confused, Asbel turned, and found his friend gazing intently at him. "Richard? Is there something wrong?"

Richard took a deep breath before speaking, "Yes, Asbel, there is something wrong. Your manners."

Asbel stared, perplexed, as if expecting Richard to resume an unfinished sentence. "My manners what?"

"Your _manners_ are what's wrong, Asbel. They were deplorable!" Richard closed his eyes and shook his head somberly.

"They were what?!" Asbel's mouth was agape, not believing his friend's words.

"Deplorable, Asbel. It means they were terribly poor-"

"I know what deplorable means! I just don't get why you're saying that. I was trying so hard to follow every formality I've ever been taught!"

"Of course you were, Asbel. I could notice that." There was no sarcasm in Richard's words; he actually sounded quite worried. "But tell me again... Where did you learn such customs?"

"At the Knight Academy. Why? Is there something wrong about their instructions?" He paused in sudden realization. "Damn, I bet the Captain taught me something funny! He's always doing that!"

"No, Asbel, it isn't Malik's fault. There's nothing wrong with the Academy's teachings... For knights. But what are you now?"

Asbel blinked, taking his time to find the proper answer. "I am... a lord?"

"Correct!" Richard had to suppress a laugh in face of Asbel's satisfied smile. He seemed really proud of himself for answering such a complex question. "Should I award you with a golden star?"

Asbel's expression became a little less amused. "Thanks, but I'd rather be taught how to act like a proper lord. Can I get that instead?"

Richard's eyes widened, his mouth twisting into a mischievous grin. "Oh, Asbel. So _now_ you want me to educate you on the many great facets of gentlemanly behavior?"

Asbel rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Richard? You were still hung up on that?"

"A true gentleman is always eager to enlighten his peers on the marvels of good manners! I'd be thrilled to aid you, Asbel."

"Well... okay. As long as I don't end up speaking like you do."

Richard raised an eyebrow and threw an arm around Asbel's shoulders, the grin never leaving his face. Asbel could only wonder what awaited him.


	2. Resolution

"Good morning, sleeping beauty."

Asbel yawned as he pulled back a chair and sat next to Richard. He helped himself to a cup of coffee - apparently, Richard had dismissed the servants after they finished setting the breakfast table - and sipped it before answering, "Morning, Richard. Or do you want me to call you prince charming?"

"It would be lovely, but I fear I'm past the prince stage. Which takes us to our first lesson: it's terribly rude to leave your king waiting."

There was a clatter as Asbel set his cup a bit too fiercely. "B-But I'm only five minutes late!"

"I was joking, Asbel," Richard said, a playful smile gracing his face, "Besides, you should be aware by now that I'd never want you to be formal while we're alone."

Asbel threw his head back, but couldn't help smiling in return. "I can never tell when you're joking. I hope this will be one of the things you'll be teaching me."

"Ha! As if I would reveal such a great secret!" Richard declared, striking a triumphant pose.

Giving up on the subject, Asbel proceeded to eat. Richard's sense of humor was damn weird, but his eccentric jokes were better than the gloom that used to surround him in the past. As long as his best friend smiled, Asbel would be happy.

"Asbel?" The foreign meekness in Richard's voice startled the young lord, who was absorbed in his plate of assorted fruit. He looked up, slightly perplexed, and waited for his friend to resume speech. Realizing the confusion in Asbel's face, Richard straightened himself. "Do you remember why I originally wanted to instruct you on being a gentleman?"

Despite the fruit's softness, Asbel swallowed with effort. "Y-Yeah."

"I'm yet to know how that turned out."

"Oh..." Asbel fidgeted, his glance darting around the room. He was hoping he wouldn't have to talk about that. "I... asked Cheria to come live with me."

"Really? That's fantastic." Richard's mouth curved into a soft smile, but his eyes held a tinge of pain. "You should've taken her to the ball, then."

Asbel scratched the back of his head, still unable to look at Richard's direction. "N-No, that's... She's not living with me yet."

"She isn't?" The king seemed bewildered. He dropped his gaze for a moment, the silence stretching before he could find his friend's face again. "Asbel, did Cheria... refuse you?"

"Ah, no." Judging from Asbel's expression, it seemed like he wouldn't have minded that outcome, though. "But I told her she didn't have to move right away."

Richard's eyes widened and his eyebrows bent, in a mixture of shock and compassion. "Did you really say that? Asbel... Cheria spent her whole life hoping that, one day, you would return her feelings," his voice was soft, his gaze sad; Richard knew how much that could hurt. "And when it finally seemed like you would, you told her to wait?"

"I... I didn't tell her that, I said... I said I would be the one waiting..." He knew his proposal had been far from great, but was it was terrible as Richard's anguished tone made it to be?

"Asbel, after so long, I'm sure Cheria wanted nothing more than to be with you. You should have... She would have wanted you to ask her to move in immediately."

Finally realizing what he had done, Asbel dropped his head, messy bangs covering his face. "I know. I messed up. I'm... I'm sorry." He didn't understand why he was apologizing to Richard. Maybe it was because he had encouraged him so much...

"You need to call her back, Asbel." Richard's voice still held sorrow to it. "Send her a letter... Ask her to come to Lhant."

Asbel didn't answer. He knew he was supposed to do that; he knew it all along, but for some reason, he could never bring himself to it. The heavy silence dragged on, Asbel staring at his plate, not knowing what to say, and Richard staring at Asbel, waiting to hear his answer. Eventually, Richard was the one who spoke, "Do you want to marry her, Asbel?"

Asbel jerked his head back up, as if shocked by the question. "W-What do you mean? I... I proposed to her, right?"

"Yes, you did. But was it out of your own wishes, or because we all pressured you to do it?"

"I... I have to marry someone. I can't help that. And Cheria, she's... so nice and caring. And she's my friend. I've gone through dozens of marriage proposals, and I couldn't find any girl better than her. So... isn't she the best choice?"

Richard sighed and shook his head. "You're avoiding my question, Asbel. Do you love her, or are you simply settling for the easiest option?"

"I'm not... I'm not just settling for her!" The fact that it didn't sound like the truth made Asbel feel incredibly ashamed. "If... If I marry her, I'm sure I'll love her someday. My parents were like that, so... I'm sure it'll be the same with me." How many times Asbel needed to say he was sure in order to convince himself?

"Asbel... Your parents didn't know each other before they were engaged, did they? Meanwhile, you've known Cheria for most of your life. Don't you think that you would already have developed feelings for her if it was indeed possible?" Richard tried to fight the guilt his words made him feel. It wasn't his intention to subvert Asbel's and Cheria's relationship, but he cared too much for both of them to allow them to end up even more hurt. "Loveless marriages are common among nobility. However, you care for Cheria, and she _loves_ you, Asbel. When she finds out that you never really returned her feelings, how will she feel? And will you be able to bear hurting one of your friends like that?"

Asbel's gaze was frozen on Richard's face. He was motionless for a while, absorbing every word, and at the same time hoping he hadn't heard them. It felt like hours before he finally spoke, "I have to break the engagement."

Richard couldn't bear the look on Asbel's face. He seemed miserable. "Asbel... If the idea of doing so saddens you to this point, maybe you actually-"

"That's not it, Richard. I just... I really don't want to hurt Cheria's feelings. She's so important to me, and... I never wanted to make her suffer. Maybe that's why I got into this whole mess to begin with," Asbel held his face in his hands, muffling his voice; "I'm such an idiot. I wish I could go back in time and undo all of this."

Unable to say anything, Richard ran his fingers through Asbel's auburn locks, hoping to soothe him in some way. Upon seeing his friend's shoulders lose some of their tension, Richard continued the motion, until Asbel drew his hands from his face and rested them on his knees. "Thanks, Richard. I... I feel better now." He raised his gaze, smiling softly.

Richard withdrew his hand and smiled back. "I'm sure both of you will overcome this and remain good friends for life."

"Yeah! Friendship is forever!" From these words and the way Asbel shook his fists in conviction, it was clear that he was back to his usual self. "As soon as I get back to Lhant, I'm going to write her a letter!"

"Asbel!" Richard's tone was reproachful. He was glad to see his friend recovered, but he couldn't avoid lecturing him. "Honestly, you really do have a lot to learn. Never break such horrible news through something as cold as a letter!"

Asbel was obviously surprised by Richard's sudden outburst. "B-But... My letter wasn't going to be cold!"

"What I meant, Asbel, is that you must personally see her," Richard explained, pointing an elegant finger at his friend.

The young lord sighed. "But how am I going to do that? She could be anywhere in the world!"

"I can have her relief foundation's itinerary checked so you'll know where she currently is." Richard gazed deeply into Asbel's eyes. "She'll probably be furious at you, Asbel, but you need to be physically there... in case she feels the need to slap you."

"Woah! Slap me?!" Asbel nearly fell from his chair. "But Cheria is strong! It's really gonna hurt!"

"Not as much as her broken heart!" Richard paused for a moment, pondering. "Though on second thought... Cheria is indeed quite strong. You might want to bring some gels."

"More like a life bottle." Asbel sighed again. "But I guess I deserve it."

Richard rose from his chair. "Well, that settles it, then. I'll have that itinerary checked immediately, so you might want to head back to your quarters and pack."

"Pack?! Wait, you want me to leave today? What about those lessons, Richard?"

"My dear Asbel, were you expecting me to teach you everything there is to know about proper etiquette within a couple days? Your education will take no less than quite a few _months_. And you did learn a little today, Asbel. On tardiness... and on breaking up with a lady." Richard nodded, looking satisfied at his tutoring talents. "For the moment, focus on handling the matter with Cheria. Once that is resolved, we can begin our... _actual work_." Following those cryptic words, Richard left with a dramatic swirl of his cloak, leaving a quite puzzled (and slightly scared) Asbel behind.


	3. On Greetings

The days following Asbel's visit weren't easy on Richard. The conversation leading to his friend's departure left the king with a swirl of dissonant emotions that he found hard to suppress, and the fact that he'd constantly find himself daydreaming about how to take advantage of Asbel's new relationship status left him feeling terribly guilty. He shouldn't be having such thoughts so quickly; maybe once Asbel and Cheria were over the whole situation, he could allow himself to try his luck...

A knock on his study's door brought him back to reality. "Come in."

A servant stepped inside, bowing deep before announcing, "A letter from Lhant, Your Highness."

"Please leave it on the table." Richard's serene tone concealed the way his stomach was fluttering like a schoolgirl's. As soon as the servant left, he darted for the envelope.

The king's eyes flew across the alarmingly brief message, and he sighed in disappointment. Asbel wrote about how he needed a few days to catch up on his work; in addition, the description of his encounter with Cheria had been summarized to "it went okay". There was the promise of a more detailed account at a later time, and a request for a suitable date for their first lesson. Richard had to fight the urge to order Asbel to come immediately.

As he prepared his reply, Richard's mind once more wandered to the future possibilities. He'd have to plan a rather... _special_ lesson to make up for the unwarranted wait.

* * *

"Your Highness, Lord Asbel has arrived."

Richard calmly set his pen on the desk, slowly arranged the document he had been going through, and graciously rose from his chair. There was not the faintest sign of hurry in his movements, and he took his time straightening his coat before declaring, "Thank you. Let him in."

The door opened to reveal a grinning Asbel. Richard stood still, merely waiting as his friend made his way towards him. Asbel let out a loud "Hey, Richard!" before gripping him in a tight embrace, and the king returned the gesture lightly. As much as he wanted to hold his friend close (and possibly spin him around), there was something he needed to hear before anything. "Asbel, how did it go?"

Asbel blinked. "Uh? How did what go? ...Oh, you mean, the deal with Cheria?" Richard nodded. "It went fine!"

Richard stared at him for a second, "Can't you elaborate?"

"Oh, sure. I did promise to tell you the details, right?" Asbel scratched his head. "Well, she was pretty pissed at first. But once I woke up, she had calmed down, and she told me that..."

"I'm sorry, Asbel," Richard interrupted, "but what do you mean by 'once you woke up'?"

"Ah, that..." The young lord's face gained a shade of pink. "Cheria slapped me and I fainted."

Richard stared in disbelief for a moment, but upon realizing that Asbel was actually serious, he broke into a hearty laugh. "H-Hey!" Asbel protested, "Don't laugh! It seriously hurt like hell, okay?! And I couldn't even ask Cheria to heal me!"

The king tried to recover his breath, steading himself on his friend's shoulder. Richard felt like all the tension that had built up over the past weeks was finally gone. "Forgive me, Asbel," he said, still suppressing his chuckles, "I simply did not expect her to actually hit you."

Asbel shrugged Richard's hands off with a friendly - albeit slightly annoyed - gesture. "Well, but she did, and I still had a bruise until a couple days ago." He sighed, remembering the pain. "Anyway, as I was saying, once I woke up," he shot a glare at his friend, as if daring him to laugh again, but Richard only smiled, "Cheria had calmed down. She told me she kind of saw it coming... And probably would've ended it herself if I didn't do it first." Asbel's gaze had wandered to the wall, but he looked more relieved than anything. "So... that's all." His eyes remained focused on the furniture a little longer, a faint blush showing in his face, until he took a deep breath and turned to Richard, expecting him to say something.

"I understand," came the awaited reply, "I'm glad everything worked out, Asbel. Shall we have our lesson now, then?"

"Woah! C'mon, Richard, I just got here! Besides, I had my engagement broken off. Can't you cut me some slack and comfort me or something?"

Richard smiled. "There's no better way to get over a sorrowful event than by keeping your mind occupied with pleasant activities."

The young lord raised an eyebrow. After how strangely Richard had acted towards the idea of coaching Asbel before, he was sure there would be _something_ to said lessons. Of course, spending time with his best friend would always be pleasant, so...

"Okay, then, since you're in such a hurry to turn me into this supreme gentleman." Asbel turned to the door. "Where to?"

"My, isn't the study to your liking, Asbel? I was thinking of doing it right here." Richard tilted his head. Was that a hint of mischief in his smile?

Asbel froze for a second, and then threw himself on the nearby couch. "Alright. Whenever you're ready."

"Well, I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you, as most of today's lesson will be done standing, but you can be seated while I explain." Richard moved to the center of the room, standing right in front of Asbel. "I thought we should start from the beginning; and which social meeting doesn't begin with... greetings?" At the last word, Richard made a sweeping movement with one of his hands, finishing with a brief bow.

Asbel stayed still, as if waiting for his friend to begin the actual lesson. Once the silence stretched for too long, the young lord said "So... greetings. What about them?"

His question was met with a frown from the king. "Asbel, didn't you recognize the gesture I just performed?"

"Was I supposed to?" Asbel's expression was blank. "I thought it was just one of your elegant hand things."

Richard sighed, holding two fingers to his forehead. "You're not very observant, are you?"

Asbel pouted, "I thought that after being friends with me for so long you'd know that already."

"It was a rhetorical question, Asbel," Richard pointed out, "Though I suppose I underestimated your lack of attention." Ignoring his friend's protests, he continued, "What I showed you is the typical gesture that Windorian nobles greet each other with."

Asbel's jaw dropped as realization finally dawned on him. "I remember now! Everyone was doing that at the ball!"

"Yes, and everyone was outraged at the fact that you refused to greet them back."

The young lord reddened. "I didn't refuse to do it, I just... didn't know."

"I'm sure you never meant to offend anyone, Asbel. But they all must have had the impression that you were disregarding them. Every highborn adult in Windor is expected to utilize that gesture - other than members of the royal family, of course."

"Really? So when someone greets you like that, you just stare?"

Richard chuckled. "Asbel, if one of my people greeted me with anything other than a deep bow or kneeling, it would be quite scandalous."

Asbel blushed, realizing how silly his question had been. "So..." he started, trying to change the subject, "I know how to greet nobles now. What's the next topic?"

Richard frowned. "Asbel, shouldn't you learn how to actually perform the greeting before we move on?"

"Aw, c'mon, Richard. It's just a sweep and a bow, right? Anyone can do it. Look!" Asbel got up and attempted it. He didn't feel quite confident about it, but he was sure it hadn't been bad...

...Until he saw the look on Richard's face. "Geez, Richard. You must be exaggerating."

"Asbel, what you just did could've made Pascal look elegant and graceful."

The young lord's eyes widened. "Seriously? Was it that terrible?"

"The Windorian greeting isn't as simple as it looks, Asbel. There are many minute details that are invisible to the untrained eye, but crucial to its correct performance."

"How do you know so much about it if you don't even get to do it?"

Richard smiled, bemused. "I cherish every aspect of my country's traditions, Asbel. The Windorian greeting, although inaccessible to myself, is a sight to behold when executed correctly. The sheer elegance and absolute gracefulness that adorn this refined gesture are a true wonder; I applaud whoever was the genius behind its invention."

After hearing such a speech, Asbel wondered why he asked the question to begin with. It was pretty obvious that this was the kind of thing Richard found fun to practice in his free time. "Okay, then. Will you do it again so I can pay attention to all those... minute details?"

"It'll be a pleasure," Richard said, before repeating the gesture, a little slower this time. Now that Asbel was carefully watching, he couldn't help but lament the fact that the king couldn't go about greeting everyone like that. The movements suited Richard perfectly: one hand floating gracefully through the air, while the other rested calmly on his chest; one foot drawing back and resting on its toes, while the other stayed firmly put, supporting the monarch's weight as he bowed lightly, blond hair cascading from his shoulders. If Richard hadn't been born to the royal family... Though that would prevent him from wearing all those frilly clothes and swirling cloaks, and that would be an even greater shame.

"Asbel, you're making me blush."

The young lord jumped in his place, startled. Richard wasn't actually blushing; Asbel was the one who turned crimson upon realizing he had been staring at his friend for quite a while. "S-Sorry, I got kind of... absorbed."

"I could tell," Richard said, smiling. "I'm glad the Windorian greeting managed to captivate you so." Well, it wasn't exactly the greeting that had Asbel so enthralled, but there was no way he'd admit to that.

"I... I think I got it all down. I'm going to try doing it again." Asbel really had every detail of Richard's movements burned in his mind, so if he still failed to do it, it wouldn't have been due to lack of observation. After some struggle, he did quite better than his first time, but still felt like he had a long way to go. "Well? How was it?"

Richard took some time before answering, his intent gaze almost searing a hole through Asbel. "Hmm. Definitely an improvement, but there's quite a lot we need to work on." He moved around his friend to stand behind him. "First, can you raise your arm as if you were about to begin the sweeping arc?" Asbel obeyed. "Good. Your initial stance is fine, Asbel, but the movement itself is a bit clumsy. Allow me to guide you." And what happened next nearly sucked every bit of air out of Asbel's body. Richard stepped towards him, standing so close that his chest was touching Asbel's back. His right hand slowly slid through Asbel's right arm all the way to his wrist, where it rested with a firm grip; and his left hand touched Asbel's chest to straighten his back, which resulted in him being pressed even further against Richard's body.

Asbel might've been used to being physically close to Richard, but that broke all boundaries. He suddenly felt as if the room temperature had been raised by many degrees, and tried to calm his pounding heart, afraid Richard would be able to feel its beating through their direct contact. Why was he feeling like this? Richard was simply a friend trying to help him. Everything was normal, perfectly normal. Asbel was the one being weird... wasn't he?

"Asbel..." Richard whispered in his ear... No, what the hell was Asbel thinking? Richard spoke normally, of course he did! "That's how it should go." And then he conducted Asbel's arm, reproducing the correct movement.

Still quite flushed, he felt his friend step away (Wait, was that a brush of lips on his ear? No, it must have been a trick of his mind. Obviously!) and saw him move to stand in front of him. Asbel hoped Richard would laugh and say "got you!" but he only stood still, smiling gently. "How about you try it on your own once more?"

After taking a deep breath to calm himself, Asbel did as he was told, receiving an approving nod from Richard. "That's considerably better." Asbel sighed in relief. He didn't know how much more touching he could stand without going crazy.

"Now, we'll work on the bowing part. Your legs were too stiff, Asbel." Richard crossed his arms. "Then, once the basic form is out of the way, we'll tackle all the variations."

Asbel could only stare in disbelief. It was going to be a long day.


	4. An Unexpected Guest

The first thing Asbel did upon arriving at his room was throwing himself on the soft bed. His head was swirling madly from the slow torture that he went through in the afternoon; it seemed like Richard had made his life's mission to teach Asbel every possible variation of the Windorian greeting, even the most random, useless one (such as "greeting a self-conscious midget while riding a turtlez"). It wouldn't have been so bad if the king hadn't made a point of directly guiding every single of Asbel's movement while being so damn... _seductive_ about it. Never, in his wildest dreams, had Asbel imagined that his best friend could be like _that_ ; and he didn't even know what "that" meant, or even if it was good or bad. The only thing Asbel was sure of is that he had never felt so confused in his life... and that he really needed a cold bath to cool his burning body.

Once Asbel had been inside the tub long enough for his brain to recover normal blood flow, he began thinking of his next ordeal: having dinner with Richard. Not that he'd ever consider dinner with his best friend to be something unpleasant, but Richard had promised to give him some general pointers over the meal, and if the previous afternoon had been any indication, the king certainly had something up his sleeve.

* * *

"Lord Asbel, dinner will be served shortly."

Asbel nearly jumped at the servant's call, unsure whether his restless was due to apprehension or anticipation. "Thanks, I'll be on my way." He quickly got up, put on his coat, and headed out of his room. To his surprised, the servant was still there.

"I'll show you the way, my lord."

Asbel had the impulse to say he knew where Richard's personal dining room was, but not wanting to hurt the poor man, he went along with it. However, when Asbel realized they were heading in the opposite direction, he had to make his concern known. "Excuse me, but where are we going?"

The servant was startled by the question. "I'm terribly sorry, my lord. I thought His Highness had told you that dinner was going to be held in a different place than usual."

That's so like Richard, Asbel thought. The king never wasted an opportunity to surprise him. "It's fine. I just wanted to know. We can keep going now."

And so they did, until they eventually arrived at... wait, what _was_ that? Asbel was standing before one of the fanciest dinner tables he had ever seen. It was true that even Richard's simplest meal was always quite elaborate, but this... was beyond comparison.

Asbel was so absorbed in every detail of the setting that it took him a while to realize that three places had been prepared. "Err... Excuse me..." The poor servant froze in place. "I thought only me and His Highness would be eating here. Who is the third person?"

"I... I apologize, my lord, but I was only instructed on bringing you here. I'm... I'm terribly sorry, but I don't know who will be joining you. I b-beg your forgiveness, Lord Asbel." His face was so pale, he seemed about to faint.

"Don't worry about it," Asbel was afraid that the servant would explode if he apologized once more, "and if you've fulfilled your job, you have my leave." The servant bowed low - so low, it looked like he was going to fall over - and left.

Asbel strolled around the table, gawking at the fine china as if he might break something just by breathing in its proximity. He didn't have long to appreciate the setting's beauty, though, as he soon heard a noise and saw Richard entering the room.

"I'm sorry for making you wait, Asbel," Richard said, smiling - as always.

"It's okay. I've only been here for less than five minutes, anyway." Asbel paused, and pointed to the table. "Who'll be eating with us?"

"Ahh." And there it was again, Richard's mischievous grin. "You'll see, Asbel. He should be arriving shortly. Why don't you take a seat?"

Asbel made a face, but he knew Richard wouldn't reveal the identity of his surprise guest no matter how much he insisted. "Can you at least tell me if it's someone I should be wary of?"

"Hmm." Richard pondered, cupping his chin. "Perhaps. It depends on how you look at it, Asbel," he said, winking.

Defeated, the young lord made for seat, trying to convince himself that, no matter what his friend was planning, there was no way his evening would be as tough as his afternoon. Asbel was still shifting in the incredibly ornate chair when the sound of steps was heard, making him turn hastily in his anxiety to see who it was.

"Don't fall from your seat, Brother."

The warning wasn't of much use, as Asbel all but did so. "Hubert?! It's you?!"

Richard didn't hold back his laugher. "Didn't I tell you his reaction would be priceless?"

"Your sense of humor is quite odd, Your Highness. I find it hard to believe that watching my brother's all-too-common stupefaction is worth all the fine china he almost broke just now."

"Come, Hubert. Asbel didn't actually break anything," the king said, helping his friend up, "though I admit he was close."

Asbel was now standing, and he looked far from amused. "When you two are done making fun of me, can you tell me what the heck is going on?"

"I'm here on a diplomatic visit," Hubert explained, fixing his glasses. "Please don't tell me you were thinking I traveled to a different country in order to play a prank on you."

Of course, that was something his brother would never do, Asbel thought. Richard, on the other hand...

"Asbel, I didn't set this up, if that's what you were thinking," the king said, as if reading his mind. "Hubert's visit wasn't scheduled. It's simply a happy coincidence."

"Indeed. I arrived this afternoon bearing a message from President Paradine, but King Richard was busy with you, Brother. We talked briefly afterward, and that's when he invited me to supper." Hubert paused, gazing at the table. "I never expected it to be this extravagant, though."

Richard smiled. "Oh, this is out of the ordinary. A treat for Asbel, you could say."

Asbel intervened before a blush could take over his face. "This is just practice, Hubert! Richard is teaching me how to... behave like a proper lord."

"I see..." Hubert sounded incredulous. "You have an arduous task ahead of you, Your Highness."

"I'm sure the results will be worth it." For some reason, Richard was beaming; thinking back, Asbel realized he had been wrong: his evening _could_ end up worse than his afternoon. "Can we just sit and eat?" the young lord pleaded.

A while later, the trio was seated, savoring the first of many courses that had been prepared for the evening. Hubert was relaying President Paradine's message, which consisted of gratitude towards Richard's efforts against the nova monsters - Strahta had recently been declared free of the creatures, as well - and an invitation to a celebration in Yu Liberte. "We know you must be quite busy, King Richard, but it will be a pleasure to have you there."

"Thank you, Hubert. I'll try my hardest to make time." He turned to Asbel. "Why don't we go together?"

The young lord nearly choked on his food. "B-But... I had nothing to do with those monster hunts."

"Don't be modest, Asbel. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be alive to conduct the exterminations. If it wasn't for you... Maybe no one would be alive at all." Richard's eyes were filled with so much guilt, Asbel wanted nothing more than to hold him close until he smiled... And he probably would've done so if the two had been alone.

"Richard, please... Stop dwelling on this." If Asbel couldn't comfort the king with his arms, he'd do it with his words. "Besides, this is all to celebrate the monsters being gone, right? And all that was your own effort."

"Your Highness," Hubert pitched in, "my brother is right in the fact that this is entirely about your exterminations expeditions. However, even though we can't honor him directly in the celebration, you could bring him as your companion," then, turning to Asbel, he added, "and you could bring your fiancée."

Hearing the word, Asbel went pale. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to find something to say - preferably an excuse - and his eyes darted across the room, looking for something, anything... Until they met Richard's gaze. The king looked understanding, supportive, even apologetic; and Asbel realized he shouldn't run away anymore. Turning to his younger brother, he said, "I broke off the engagement."

For a while, all Hubert did was stare, as if waiting for Asbel - or even Richard - to reveal this was part of a practical joke. After realizing the two of them remained serious, the lieutenant's mouth dropped. "You did _what_?!"

"I... I realized it was a mistake, so broke it off."

Hubert was turning crimson. "Oh, you did, eh? How about you _think_ whether something is a mistake or not _before_ you go ahead and do it?!"

"Listen, I know I messed up, so you don't need to yell at me! You think I don't feel guilty enough already?!"

The two brothers remained with their gazes locked for a while, fists clenched and shoulders tensed, until their breaths began to slow down and their eyes started to show understanding instead of anger. "You're an idiot." Hubert's words were rash, but his tone was almost sympathetic. "I should've seen that coming. You never seemed very interested in her."

Asbel raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that? Are you using your feelings for Pascal as basis?"

"You... I-I'm not... I don't even... Yes." Hubert hid his face in his palms, defeated.

Richard and Asbel exchanged glances, smiling. "Hubert," the king started, "have you been keeping in touch with her?"

"Keeping in touch? That insufferable woman is visiting me _every other week_. And she still doesn't realize that I lov... W-Well, I'm practically waving a flag with the words written on it, and even yet...! Honestly, if this keeps going for any longer, I'll go mad."

Asbel had to hold back a laugh. "C'mon, Hubert, at least she's visiting you often. She wouldn't do that if she didn't like you, so if you give it time, it'll work out in the end."

"You're the last person who should be giving dating advice, Brother," and, turning to Richard, Hubert added, "Maybe that's something you ought to be teaching him, as well."

"Fear not, Hubert. Courting will certainly be one of our most important topics." And, with these words, Richard flashed a quite irresistible smile at Asbel, leaving the poor lord utterly distraught.


	5. Pascal's Gift

It had been almost two weeks since Richard's dinner with the Lhant brothers. He missed that lively night - and, above all, that amusing afternoon - but his own duties left him so busy, he still hadn't been able to free any time to resume his lessons with Asbel. And so, this was supposed to be another usual, boring day... That is, until a very flushed servant walked inside his study.

Richard looked up from the document he had been reading, and motioned for the servant to speak. The man took a deep breath, as if trying to collect his thoughts and not blurt out to the King, before speaking with a somewhat shaky voice. "Y-Your Highness, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but a very insistent woman is begging for an audience. She claims she's your... friend, and refused to leave unless we announced her presence. I'm sure this will only result in her being thrown out, but..."

"Did she mention her name?" Richard interrupted.

"Y-Yes. She said her name is... Pascal."

Richard smiled, unsurprised that his amarcian friend would incite such a loud reception. "You can let her in."

The servant blinked quite a few times, probably wondering whether the monarch had gone mad to let such an improper woman in his presence. He knew not to contest his king's decisions, though, so he simply bowed and left in order to follow his order.

A while later, Pascal stepped through the study's door, exclaiming (to the servant's horror), "Heya, Richard!" It was amazing how her hearty cheerfulness suddenly made the place seem much brighter. Richard signaled for the servant to leave, and rose from his chair to greet his friend.

"Hello, Pascal. To what do I owe the honor of your presence?"

The amarcian laughed and dropped her large sack on the nearby couch. "Aw, Richard, can't I visit my royal friend without an ulterior motive?"

He smiled, watching her rummage through her bag. "Well, this being the first time you've ever visited me in Barona, I'd expect you to have one."

"Ha! You're actually right!" Pascal exclaimed, projecting a strange device out of her belongings. "I do have an ulterior motive! And you're totally gonna love it!"

"Oh?" Richard sat next to her on the couch, and made for curious object - before Pascal withdrew it from his reach.

"Wait, lemme explain it first!" The amarcian held the machine in her arms, as if it were a baby. "So, last week I was over at Hu's, and he told me all about what's going on between you and Asbel. You know, the gentleman makeover thing!" Pascal sounded extremely excited. "And then I thought, one of the things a gentleman has to know is how to dance, right?" It was in every way a rhetorical question, but she still stared at Richard and waited for him to nod. "And, to dance, you need music, right?" He had to nod again before she continued. "Right! You need music, but you can't get an orchestra or anything!"

The king blinked, confused. "Pascal, given my social position, I could get an orchestra quite easily."

"No, silly!" She blurted, shaking her fists. "You can't get an orchestra! It would ruin the mood! You and Asbel have got to be _alone_!"

Richard's eyes widened for a second, wondering why she'd say such a thing... Until he remembered Pascal's antics about him and Asbel back in Gralesyde, which he always thought were mere jokes. So she had actually been serious? She actually wanted to bring him and Asbel together?

"Hey! Ephinea to Richard! I'm still here!" The king focused back to the present, and found Pascal waving her arms in front of him. "You can daydream about Asbel later! Lemme show you how this works!" And she began operating on the device's controls; which, for Pascal's machines' standards, were surprisingly simple. After a while, a soft tune could be heard.

"Is this... a music box?" Richard asked.

"More like a super powered one!" Pascal exclaimed, "This is better than any orchestra you could hire!"

"Well, I could hire some excellent orchestras..." he began, but as the melody grew more and more complex, all he could say was "Impressive."

"Right! I built it just for you two!" She was jumping up and down in her seat. "Now, imagine dancing with Asbel to this sweet little thing! He's gonna MELT in your arms!" Pascal began nudging and winking at Richard so fiercely, she almost brought him to blushing - which would've been quite a feat.

"Well..." he started, trying to compose himself, "I suppose the controls are simple enough for a layman, then?"

"You bet they are!" Pascal's excitement was so great, she rose to her feet and started dancing around. "Oh man, this is gonna be so awesome! I can't wait for it!"

"Pascal..." Richard's tone was serious, "this also works as a recording device, doesn't it?"

The amarcian froze in place, and began poking her index fingers together while glancing from side to side. "Teehee... maybe?"

"I suppose I'll have to place a piece of cloth over it," the king stated, crossing his arms.

"Awww, c'mon, Richard! I really really want to see you two dancing! Pleaaase?" Pascal pressed her palms together and bowed, pleading.

Richard shook his head. "I'm sorry, but... absolutely not."

"Geez! You're such a killjoy!" she exclaimed, throwing herself back on the couch. "Then you have to promise to tell me EVERYTHING later, okay?"

"Pascal, really... I doubt anything of notice will happen. It's simply... still too early," Richard said, dropping his gaze.

"Don't be such a pessimist!" She was shaking her fists. "Asbel totally wants you, he's just not aware of it yet!"

"I'd rather wait until he is aware, then," Richard replied, his melancholy contrasting with Pascal's buoyancy. "Besides, he just broke up with Cheria. I wouldn't want her to be hurt, either."

The amarcian crossed her arms. "Cheria would be mad if Asbel got together with another girl, but you're a dude! She's totally gonna understand... I mean, you do have _something_ she doesn't!" Pascal's perverted smile, coupled with those words, was the last straw needed to finally make Richard feel embarrassed. "Ha, I think this is the first time I'm seeing you blush!" she added, laughing.

Richard stood up, fists shaking as he stepped away to hide his reddening face. "I suppose we're done for today," he retorted. "Thank you for the present, Pascal. You'll find a servant outside the study's door; he'll show you the way out."

* * *

Once Pascal was gone and his temper had cooled, Richard began examining the music box. It was indeed surprisingly simple to use, and he found out he could create a myriad of melodies and rhythms through the device. It would certainly be a great help in teaching Asbel how to dance, and for a second, Richard almost regretted the way he threw Pascal out - _almost_ being the key word, for the amarcian had certainly overstepped some boundaries. As glad as he was to have her support, Richard was annoyed at the fact that she treated the whole endeavor as some elaborate ploy to win Asbel's heart. Of course, if that happened, Richard would be overjoyed; but his main objective - the reason he even took the task upon himself in the first place - was to help his friend, and not to take advantage of him.

His mind went back to the revelation he had heard in the morning following the royal ball. When Richard discovered that, despite everything that happened, Asbel still didn't have romantic feelings for Cheria - or for any other girl, for that matter - hope was kindled in his heart. Richard had loved Asbel for as long as he could remember; Asbel, the young boy who reached a hand to him, who wanted to be his friend and nothing more, and who pulled him out of the dark solitude that used to surround him; Asbel, the aspiring knight who risked his life to save him, and asked for nothing in return; Asbel, the man who, after seven years, came to his aid despite all odds, and offered him everything. When Richard became a cruel, ruthless tyrant, Asbel still had faith in him, still wanted to save him... And that same Asbel sacrificed so much for him, so much more than Richard thought he was worth. This - the fact that someone as amazing as Asbel would go to such lengths for him - made Richard think that, maybe, just maybe... he had a chance. If Asbel still hadn't shown romantic interested in anyone... maybe Richard could be the one.

He sighed, putting the music box on his desk. It was useless delving on such thoughts. All he could do was to wait for Asbel to (hopefully) realize his own feelings. Until then, Richard would do his best to teach him everything one could know about being a proper gentleman; though he'd also try to give Asbel the push he needed in order to come to a decision about their relationship.

Throwing one final glance at Pascal's new device, Richard decided it was time to write a letter.

* * *

"Asbel?"

The lord in question looked up from the stack of papers that covered his desk, and met a pair of inquisitive purple eyes. "Hi, Sophie. Need anything?"

"No," the girl said, her gaze darting across the pile of documents. Even though they were all indecipherable to her, she still looked at them curiously whenever she went to the study. Sometimes, Asbel would consider explaining some of them to her... But he would also remember how awfully boring they all were, and always ended up deciding against it.

Suddenly, Asbel noticed the envelope in his adopted daughter's hands, and the royal seal stamped upon it. "Sophie, what's that?"

"That?" She looked up, confused, until she realized what Asbel was talking about; and she finally seemed to remember the reason she entered the study in the first place. "Oh," she said, before handing the envelope to Asbel, "It's from Richard."

Asbel nearly knocked over one of the stacks of paper in his rush to grab the letter. He was in the process of opening it when he realized Sophie had moved to his side, expecting him to read its contents to her, as he always did whenever one of their friends wrote to either of them. Asbel cursed the fact that Frederic wasn't the one who brought the message to him, as that might've allowed him to hide its contents from the girl. Well, it wasn't as if Richard would write anything terribly awkward, but... He still hadn't told Sophie about the lessons, and somehow the idea of doing so embarrassed him considerably.

Lacking another choice, Asbel proceeded to read the letter aloud. It was pretty much what he had expected: Richard apologizing for taking so long, and presenting him with a set of possible dates for their next lesson. Sophie stood next to him, listening attentively to every word, until the lord was done reading. Then, she asked, "Asbel, what is Richard teaching you?"

"Well," he started, scratching the back of his head, "he's teaching me how to be a gentleman."

Sophie blinked, tilting her head softly. "What's a gentleman?"

"A gentleman is..." Asbel leaned back in his chair, looking deep in thought, "someone who always knows the right thing to say or do. Someone with really good manners, and pretty refined, too. He's elegant and courteous and cultured and-"

"Like Richard?" Sophie cut him off.

Asbel smiled. "Yeah, pretty much like him."

"Then... you're going to become like Richard?" The idea made Sophie a little sad. She loved Richard, but she also loved Asbel, and she wanted both of them to always stay like themselves. They were her friends.

"What? No way!" Asbel laughed. "He's just teaching me how to act when I'm with other nobles. I could never be half as sophisticated as Richard." Really, the king was on another level of grace. Asbel couldn't even picture someone as perfect as him; his admiration for Richard ran deep, and he often thought of how lucky he was to have such an incredible friend.

Sophie smiled and interwove her fingers, resting them against her chest. "I'm glad, then. I hope you two have fun, Asbel."

"Thanks, Sophie," Asbel said, smiling back and petting her head. "We're kinda busy right now, but next time I'll bring you with me so you can visit Richard too."

"Okay," Sophie nodded, "It's a promise."

Asbel watched as Sophie made her way to the door, and then, still smiling, grabbed a piece of paper to write his reply.

He really wanted to see Richard soon.


	6. On Dancing

"Um... here, Richard?"

"Indeed, Asbel. We'll need a considerable amount of space today."

The duo was standing in a large and mostly empty room. Other than one lone couch and a small table, it was completely devoid of furniture. However, a myriad of large windows kept the place from being gloomy; the peering rays of the afternoon sun brightened the room to the point where it acquired a rather pleasant atmosphere. It wasn't an unknown location to Asbel, actually; this happened to be the place where he would occasionally spar with Richard, when they both had the free time for it. Considering that Asbel actually gave his all in their matches instead of deliberately granting victory to the monarch, they needed a private spot where no passerby would be outraged at the fact that someone dared to win against the King of Windor.

"So..." Asbel started, as he paced around the room, "Are you going to teach me how to be a gentleman when battling or something?"

"Not quite," Richard declared, moving to stand next to the small table, where an object was concealed beneath a tablecloth. "Though what we're about to do is likened to sword fighting by many." And, with a swift motion, he removed the fabric, revealing a strange device. "We're going to dance."

Asbel blinked a couple times, staring at the box-shaped machine. "What's that? Seems Pascal-made."

"You're correct. It was designed by none other than our amarcian inventor," Richard replied, as he began working on the controls. "It produces music as proficiently as the most brilliant of orchestras." And, following those words, the device started playing a soft tune.

"Wow. Pascal's really something," Asbel commented, upon listening to the melody. "Did you ask her to build it?"

"Well... I suppose you could say that." Lying to his best friend made him uncomfortable, but he couldn't simply reveal that Pascal created the machine because she fantasized about Richard and Asbel being together.

"Are you supposed to cover it with that cloth?" Asbel asked, "Won't it dull the sound?"

Richard mentally cursed Pascal. "The device is quite sensitive to dust, so it has to stay covered most of the time," he lied, "Besides, that fabric is quite fine, so it won't affect the sound significantly."

"Sensitive to dust? Really?" Asbel sounded unconvinced. "But Pascal's machines tend to be so sturdy..."

"There's an exception to everything, Asbel. Don't dwell on it." That damned Pascal... Richard had to pity Hubert. "Let's not stray from our real subject, my friend. Do you know anything about dancing?"

Asbel scratched his head. During his time at the Knight Academy, people would often go out to dance... But it wasn't like bar dancing would have anything to do with what Richard was about to teach him; and even if it had, Asbel rarely went out at night, given how caught up in his training he would always be. "I don't think so," he answered.

"I'll instruct you on the basic steps that should get you across most balls, then," Richard said, tuning the device so that it produced a steady rhythm. "Not many people were dancing at the celebratory ball, probably due to the fact it was the first of my rule, and therefore flattery and gossip were the top priorities. It should be different in the ones to follow, however, so you have to be prepared." Richard placed a hand on one of Asbel's shoulders, guiding to him the center of the room. There, he performed a variation of the Windorian greeting - Asbel recognized it as the one that preceded the request for a dance - and held his hand out to the young lord.

Asbel stared at Richard's delicate fingers (which happened to be ungloved, something quite rare for the monarch), unsure of what to do. When his friend said they would be dancing, Asbel didn't expect he meant they'd dance _together_. "Um... are you going to lead me?" he asked, incredulous.

Richard smiled, his hand still in the air. "Since you're not acquainted with the steps, I thought I should be leading you at first," he tilted his head to one side, blond bangs slipping across his face, "And, once you learn the basics, you can start leading me."

Asbel swallowed hard, his heartbeat increasing. When he thought about it, it was the obvious thing to do; but somehow, the way Richard worded it just made it sound... No, he wouldn't let his mind wander. Wishing himself to focus, Asbel placed his hand over Richard's, and waited for him to make the first move.

"Asbel..." Richard said, softly, "Your other hand, please."

The lord looked down and realized that, unconsciously, he was gripping his friend's palm as if in a handshake. "S-Sorry," he mumbled, giving him the correct hand, "I was distracted."

"Don't worry about it," Richard reassured him, getting into position. He was now encircling Asbel's waist with his right arm, while his left one held the lord's hand in the air. They were close, awfully close; only a few inches separated their faces, and Asbel was struggling to keep eye contact and not - absolutely not - blush feverishly. However, the gentle grip on his back and warm breathing on his cheek made the task borderline impossible. "Asbel, please rest your free arm on my shoulder," the king requested. Hearing Richard's voice coming from lips so close to Asbel's own sent a shiver down the lord's spine, and he struggled to steady his breathing as he did what he was told.

"We'll be doing two steps to the right, and two to the left. Just move according to the music and let me guide you. Ready?" Afraid that his voice would break if he tried to speak, Asbel settled for a nervous nod. Richard smiled in response, and after a few moments, he began.

That first step would have been sudden, unexpected; that is, if _something_ in Richard's body hadn't somehow told him when and to where they would be moving. Soon, Asbel realized that, through tiny variations in the way Richard held him, the king could communicate his next movements and smoothly take Asbel with him. The young lord had expected to fail miserably, like he had when he first tried to perform the Windorian greeting; but instead, he found himself gliding effortlessly across the room, in perfect harmony with his partner. The tension Asbel felt was gone, and he was enjoying the dance thoroughly, both him and Richard grinning happily... That is, until the king tried to spin him, which resulted in Asbel nearly falling flat on the floor.

"Wh-What was that?" Asbel demanded, as Richard helped him up.

"I'm terribly sorry," the monarch apologized with a distressed tone, "You were doing so well, that for a moment I forgot you only knew the basic step."

"Hey, it's okay. But I only did well because you're so good at leading. I never knew you were such an amazing dancer, Richard," Asbel declared. Then, upon seeing the expression in his friend's face, he added, "Really, there's no need to flush. Even you have got to make a mistake sometimes."

In truth, Richard wasn't flushing at his blunder, but at the praise he had just received. Not that the king wasn't used to being praised - quite the opposite, in fact - but when it came from Asbel... it just meant so much more.

"So..." Asbel started, taking Richard away from his thoughts, "Should I lead you now?"

"By all means," Richard said, smiling. "I do believe you're ready. I'm only waiting for your request."

"Oh. You're right. Sorry, I forgot." After stopping a moment to focus, Asbel performed the correct greeting and held out his hand to Richard, who gently placed his fingers over Asbel's. The lord couldn't fail to notice how soft Richard's skin felt despite all his years practicing with the rapier; his gloves must have been made of a really impressive fabric, Asbel wondered. He was tempted to stay a while longer holding Richard's hand like this, but he had been spacing out too much in the lessons already, and the last thing he needed was another awkward moment... However, once Asbel placed his arm around Richard's waist, he realized there was really no running away from getting flustered. Taking a deep breath and doing his best to stay calm, he looked up at the king, "C-Can I start?"

"Actually... Your grip on my waist is a bit too loose, Asbel. You need to be slightly firmer, else you'll have trouble leading," Richard stated.

"Oh... Okay..." He breathed deep again, before strengthening his hold on the monarch. Damn, Richard's waist felt slimmer than Asbel expected. Was he eating right? Like, it wasn't normal for a guy, was it? Not that Richard was average in any way... He had always been quite lean, which actually went really well with his facial features and...

"Whenever you're ready, Asbel."

Asbel nearly jumped in surprise. His mind had been wandering to weird places... again. "I-I'm gonna start, then," he said, before hesitantly making the first move. It was nowhere near as smooth as Richard's start, and the same could be said for every step that followed: Asbel was clearly having trouble leading.

"Asbel, you're too tense," the king said in gasps, trying to keep up with his partner's erratic movements.

"But... you said my grip was too loose before!" Asbel blurted.

"The trick is being firm, yet tender," Richard explained as they went on dancing, "I need to know what you want of me, so you have to be firm; but if you hold me too fiercely, I'll be restrained and unable to keep up with you."

So he had to let Richard know what he wanted of him, but he had to do it in a gentle way? _W-Wait, that sounded wrong,_ Asbel thought. Trying his best to not misunderstand his friend's words, he focused on the task at hand. _Firm yet tender, firm yet tender,_ the young lord repeated in his head. The progress was slow, but present. Soon, Asbel no longer had the sensation that he was dragging Richard around; instead, his partner felt light in his arms, and their movements were finally coordinated and smooth. Eventually, the lord mustered the courage to ask, "So... am I doing okay?"

The king's lips curved into a genuine smile. "You're fantastic, Asbel." Richard's words... his words, and the way his long, golden hair was flying softly as he danced made Asbel's heart flutter wildly; so wildly, the poor lord tripped on his own feet and, for the second time in the afternoon, nearly fell flat on the floor.

"Are you alright?" Richard asked, as he - again - helped Asbel get up. This time, the king was the one looking confused.

"Yes, I just... Geez, I guess I'm not able to end one single dance normally."

Richard chuckled. "On your defense, the other time was entirely my fault. Though I have to admit, I wonder how you managed to fall just now." He was actually being honest; despite his keen senses, Richard was completely unable to realize the effect he had on Asbel.

"Maybe I'm just not cut out for dancing," Asbel sighed.

"That's certainly not true, Asbel. I meant it when I said you were fantastic," Richard insisted, to the lord's further embarrassment.

"W-Well," Asbel stuttered, his face growing crimson, "Since I did so great, I guess we're done for now, right?"

Richard cupped his chin. "Hmm. Originally, I did plan to end the lesson at this point," he mused, "But I never expected you to learn this fast. Since we still have most of the afternoon ahead of us, why not teach you another rhythm?" The blood drained from Asbel's face, which went from bright red to ghastly white in seconds. There it was again: Richard's mischievous - and irresistible - grin. What did he have in store this time?

The king fiddled with the music box, making the tune faster and more intense. "This, Asbel," he explained, "is getting quite popular in the smaller balls. Being more energetic, it's usually the choice for less formal occasions, when the objective is actually dancing and not simply being seen. It rarely plays in royal balls, sadly, but once nobles start inviting you to their private celebrations, knowing this dance will be invaluable to you. Shall we?" Richard was holding out his hand, and Asbel took it gingerly, trying to steel himself for what was about to come.

However, as Richard started to get into position, Asbel realized that keeping his head cool would be impossible. Their stance was about the same as before, the standard for most dances... with the exception that they were _much, much_ closer than before: every single inch of Asbel's torso was in contact with Richard's, and their cheeks were pressed together. All in all... It was torture, pure torture. The only positive side was that, given their position, the mortification in Asbel's face was hidden from Richard.

"Asbel, this time, we'll be doing sets of three steps," heavens, Richard was speaking directly into his ear. "Every third step is a little longer, which will allow me to change our direction. However, make sure not to raise your right knee too high," it was the knee positioned between the king's legs, Asbel realized, "Or you risk terminating the Windorian royal line," Richard added with a playful tone.

Despite his friend's joke, Asbel was far from amused. The last thing he needed was to be reminded of the proximity of Richard's... _Damn_ , he could feel his temperature rising already. "I-I got it, we can start," he muttered, trying to push the subject out of his mind.

Richard, however, remained still. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Do you think you might be overexerting yourself, Asbel? Your body feels awfully hot."

Asbel's legs nearly gave away. If he wasn't careful, this could turn into the most awkward moment of his life. "I'm fine," he lied, "L-Let's get on with it." Maybe if they got down to dancing, Asbel could relax and act normally...

...He had never been so wrong.

This was _completely_ different than the previous dance, which had a slow, calm pace. This rhythm was fierce, ardent, passionate even; the movements created constant friction between their bodies, which seemed to get further and further pressed together with each step they took. Asbel's thoughts ceased, the world outside melting away as all he could feel was _Richard_ , Richard so close, so warm, and soon Asbel could hear drums beating inside his head, growing louder and louder each moment, until they drowned the music and made him so dizzy, he was afraid he would faint.

"R-Richard, please, I need to sit down," he begged, no longer able to take it.

The king froze, shocked, before hurrying his friend to the couch. There, Asbel sat, resting his elbows on his legs and covering his face with his palms. "I'm so sorry, Asbel," Richard apologized, his voice shaky, "I had no idea you were this tired. I'll bring water immediately; please, stay here and rest." And he hurried out of the room, sick with concern for his best friend.

As he watched Richard leave, Asbel felt guilty for worrying him so much; but still, he couldn't bring himself to say a word. It was better for Richard to believe he was ill than for him to find out what Asbel had actually been feeling.


	7. Tea and Crablettes

After the dancing fiasco, Richard was adamant about Asbel spending the remainder of the day in bed, resting. The king had dinner served in the guestroom, and he even talked about fetching a doctor. Asbel obviously shot the idea down instantly, claiming it had simply been exhaustion due to his recent lack of exercise.

"I don't understand," Richard commented, as he sat on the edge of his friend's bed, "You were so vigorous last time we sparred, Asbel. Are you sure that you're not sick?"

"I'm not sick, Richard," he pleaded, for the millionth time, "And it's been ages since we last sparred, anyway."

The king frowned. "I'm sure it was no more than a few months ago."

"Really, I'm fine. Just drop it, please."

Richard's gaze fell to the bundle of sheets that surrounded his friend. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to anger you. I just... I wouldn't be able to bear it if something happened to you, Asbel," he gripped the soft white fabric, "especially if it was my fault."

The lord reached for his friend's tense fingers, enveloping them gently. "Hey, it's alright. I'm not mad at you, Richard, and nothing is gonna happen to me, okay?"

Seeing Asbel's honest smile, Richard couldn't help but return the gesture. "I'd still ask you to get an early night, Asbel. Would you do that for me... please?"

Asbel was ready to grumble, but upon seeing Richard's sheepish eyes, he settled for a more playful tone, "It's not like I can turn you down, Your Highness." Despite the humorous nature of his remark, Asbel really was willing to do anything for his best friend.

"Thank you, Asbel," Richard said, giving the lord's hands a gentle squeeze before making for the door. "Sleep well, my friend."

* * *

Despite Richard's good wishes, Asbel had a restless night. Many times, he awoke from dreams whose contents were... questionable, at best. He'd try as hard as he could to forget them, but as soon as he closed his eyes again, they'd come back to haunt him. It was unnerving, really; after all, there was no way he would ever want to do _this_ and _that_ to his best friend. Not even remotely! He was sure of that!

...Wasn't he?

_I should just forget about it,_ Asbel thought to himself in the morning, as he splashed cold water on his face. _Nothing good will come of overthinking this stuff._ He grabbed the towel in the nearby rack and dried his skin. Looking closely at the mirror, he didn't look half as tired as he expected; maybe going to sleep so early made up for the fact that he had woken up half a dozen times throughout the night. He should thank Richard for forcing him to have an early night... But then again, the king also happened to be the one to blame for his troubled sleep.

Now fully packed and ready to leave, Asbel made for the door, only to find a servant standing outside. "Good morning, Lord Asbel. Would you mind waiting a while longer in your chamber? His Highness has informed that he would like to see you before your departure."

"Oh." Well, it wasn't completely unexpected; Richard often saw him off, and given the previous day's events, he'd certainly want to make sure Asbel was okay. "Should I go to his study?"

The servant shook his head, "No, my lord. As I said, please wait in your chamber. I'll notify His Highness that you're awake," with that, he bowed and left.

Shortly later, Richard was by his door. "Asbel," the king rushed to his side, grabbing both of his hands, "How are you this morning? Did you rest well? I wouldn't want you to journey back to Lhant unless you were fully recovered." One of Richard's hands moved to Asbel's cheek, stroking it lightly. "You seem to have dark circles under your eyes."

"I slept just fine," Asbel lied, "You're imagining things, Richard," he added, brushing his friend's hand away. "Besides, I'll be on a ship and then taking the Turtlez Transport. It's not like I'll have to walk much."

"If you insist..." Richard trailed off. "Oh, Asbel, should we schedule your next visit already? I expect to have time two weeks from now."

The lord went pale. He wouldn't be ready to see Richard again - to go through all that again - so shortly. However, he couldn't turn him down, either... Wait! He remembered something! "Sure, Richard. But do you mind if I bring Sophie along? I promised that I'd take her to see you next time."

The king smiled. "I'd be delighted, Asbel. It's been too long since the three of us have been together." He cupped his chin, pondering, "I believe I can devise a more verbal lesson for you, then, which we could have over tea in the garden. That way, we wouldn't bore the poor girl."

"Yeah, well, you have a while to come up with something. Just make sure it includes Sophie, she wouldn't want to be left out!" Asbel was beaming at his genius. As long as he and Richard weren't alone, the situation couldn't become awkward. "See you in two weeks, then!"

* * *

A fortnight later, Richard stood before Asbel, Sophie, and the largest bouquet of sopherias he had ever seen. "I missed you, Richard," the girl said, handing him the flowers with a smile.

"Sophie... Thank you so much. They're beautiful." Richard struggled to balance the bouquet in one arm so that he could hug Sophie with the other. "I missed you, too."

Asbel stepped up, "That's all very touching, but I'm feeling neglected here. I helped pick the flowers, you know."

Richard laughed. "I'm sorry, Asbel. It's just that it had been so long since I last saw Sophie." He walked towards the lord, held him in a tight embrace, and softly said "I always miss you," before stepping back.

"M-Me too," Asbel stuttered, trying not to blush. Part of him really wished that the hug had lasted longer.

"Well, then," Richard started, addressing both Sophie and Asbel, "Tea has been served on a table in the garden. And before you ask, Sophie, yes, we have crablettes."

The girl smiled, a dreamy look in her face. "I love crablettes."

Asbel rolled his eyes, "There's really no way we could ever forget that. Seriously, we're running out of crabs in Lhant. We'll have to start importing," he sighed. "Crablettes with the afternoon tea... You're spoiling her, Richard."

The king chuckled. "I trust that you will forgive me once you find out that there will be curry for dinner, Asbel."

"Well... I guess I can let it slide, then," Asbel joked. "But come on, I'm hungry and I don't want our tea getting cold. Or Sophie's crablettes," he added, throwing a glance at his adopted daughter, who soon grabbed both Richard and Asbel by their arms and began dragging them both towards the garden.

It wasn't long until they could feel the strong smell of fried eggs and crab, and soon Sophie was seated in front of a quite generous portion of the treat. Meanwhile, her more normal friends helped themselves to tea and pastries, and Richard began lecturing Asbel on how to properly hold a teacup. However, being quite absorbed in her dish, Sophie could barely hear a word they were saying; that is, until she was done consuming every bit of it, at which point she turned her full attention at their dialogue.

Richard was the one who noticed her inquisitive gaze first. "May I help you, Sophie? Should I send for more crablettes?" He asked, turning to her.

"Woah, Richard!" Asbel protested, "She just ate a whole mountain of the stuff! Don't offer her more of it!"

Sophie shook her head, "Thank you, Richard, but I'm full." She blinked a couple times, her large purple eyes shining with her usual curiosity. "Were you teaching Asbel how to act like a gentleman?"

Richard smiled. "As a matter of fact, I was. Did my speech spark your interest, Sophie?"

She nodded vigorously, purple hair flying everywhere. "Yes. Can you turn me into a gentleman as well, Richard?"

Asbel's mouth flew open, "S-Sophie! You can't become a _gentleman_!"

"I fear Asbel is right, Sophie," Richard added through an amused smile, "That is a little beyond my abilities."

"But... why not?" Sophie asked, disappointed.

"Because a girl can't become a gentleman," Asbel explained, crossing his arms.

Sophie frowned. "That's sexist, Asbel."

The lord nearly fell from his chair. "Wh-What... Where did you hear that?! Wait, don't tell me. It was the Captain, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Sophie confirmed, "The Captain told me that saying a girl can't do something because she is a girl is sexist," she suddenly paused, tilting her head to one side, "What's 'sexist', Asbel?"

There was a loud 'smack' as Asbel struck his own face with his palm. "Forget it, Sophie. It's too complicated to explain right now." Really, one day he'd find a way to repay the Captain for all this _so very valuable_ knowledge he'd been providing Sophie with. "All I meant is that 'gentleman' is a word that is only used to refer to guys. You know, gentle _man_ ," he repeated, stressing the last part.

"Ohh." Sophie was reflecting. "Then can I become a gentle _woman_?"

Richard, who had been quietly laughing during the whole exchange, decided to step up before Asbel lost his mind. "Sophie, the correct word would be 'lady'. And, as much as I'd love to help you, I'm not entirely qualified for the task. Ideally, a woman should be the one instructing you."

At first, Sophie seemed disappointed, but soon her eyes shone as realization dawned on her. "Then I'll ask Cheria, once she comes live with us."

Hearing such words, both men widened their eyes; the king in shock, the lord in shame. Richard immediately threw a sharp glance at Asbel that clearly said _'oh my god I can't believe you still haven't told her'_ , and the young lord could only stare back in desperation, not knowing what to do.

"Sophie," Richard intervened, "A while ago, the gardener informed me that he planted some sopherias around here. I couldn't find them, however. Would you look for them in my stead?"

The girl beamed at the idea of touring Richard's huge garden, immediately jumping from her seat and running along the beautiful flowerbeds. Once she was out of earshot, Richard turned to Asbel. "Well?"

"I... I tried to... I swear I tried to tell her, but it's just so difficult," the lord blurted out, hands covering his face. "I'm such an awful father."

"Asbel... Sophie can see us, so please regain your composure lest she suspect something is wrong." Richard softly brushed Asbel's hands away before cupping his chin and turning his face so that they were eye to eye. "And you're anything but an awful father, understand? You've always been amazing to Sophie."

"R-Richard... Thank you," Asbel said, mustering a smile. "Do you... do you think I should tell her now?" He was hoping Richard would say yes. Breaking the news to Sophie was going to be hard no matter what, but doing it with Richard by his side... would be so much better.

The king shifted a glance at the purple haired girl, who was distracted chasing a butterfly. "I believe you should tell her as soon as possible, Asbel. If you feel that you're able to do so now... Maybe it would be a good moment." Slowly, Richard made for one of Asbel's hands, holding it tightly. "I'm with you, Asbel, and I'll do everything I can to help."

Despite the difficulty of what he was about to do, Asbel couldn't help but smile, happy to have his best friend's unconditional support. "Okay. I'll go call her back," he said, standing and moving towards the girl.

Shortly later, both Asbel and Sophie were back at the table. The lord took a deep breath, but before he could muster a word, his daughter spoke, "Richard... I couldn't find the sopherias."

"It's fine, Sophie. I must have misheard the gardener." he said, ruffling her purple hair. "Anyway, don't mind that. Asbel has something important to say to you."

Sophie turned to her adoptive father, her large, forever curious eyes locked into him as she waited for him to speak. Asbel reached for her small hands, and held them gently with his own. "Sophie, Cheria... Cheria isn't going to move in with us anymore." He watched as the girl's eyes grew even larger, her curiosity turning into confusion. "It doesn't mean I stopped being her friend. Pretty much the opposite, in fact. This... this is happening _because_ I treasure her friendship, and I don't want to do something that both of us might regret later." Asbel paused, waiting for it all to sink in. Sophie probably would want to ask a lot of questions.

"But... aren't you two in love, Asbel?"

Asbel's grip on Sophie's hands grew tighter. "I really do care for Cheria, Sophie. But this type of love... It's different. It's similar to what I feel about Hubert. Cheria is like a very dear sister to me." He had the impulse to look down, but forced himself not to. He had to be strong. "This is all my fault, for mistaking that feeling for the kind of love that a couple share. You have every reason to me mad at me, Sophie. Cheria even slapped me for it, so... You can do that, too," and Asbel turned his face sideways, so that Sophie was facing one of his cheeks. The girl slowly raised her hand, and Asbel immediately regretted his actions: Sophie was _considerably_ stronger than Cheria, and he might as well lose his teeth in the process.

However, to his surprise, all he got was a gentle pat. "It's okay, Asbel," Sophie said, "I'm happy as long as everyone can be friends." There was a pause. "But... even though she isn't moving in, she can still visit us, right?"

Asbel smiled. "Of course she can, Sophie. She can even teach you how to be a lady."

Her face brightening with happiness, Sophie stood from her chair. "It's a promise, Asbel," she said, holding out her hand.

The young lord placed his hand over hers. "I promise that I'll ask Cheria to visit us and teach you to be a lady."

Sophie shook her head. "No, Asbel. Promise you will find someone that will love you, and that you will want to love back." She squeezed his hand gently. "I want you to be happy."

Lost in his daughter's resolute gaze, Asbel took a moment to absorb her words. It was incredible how perceptive she had grown ever since their first meeting. Although she was still naïve about an infinity of subjects, sometimes she could be more mature than Asbel himself. Touched, he started, "Thank you, Sophie. I promise-"

"Wait!" the girl interrupted, "Richard... can you join us?"

Surprised at being called so suddenly, especially when Asbel was about to make such a promise, Richard felt his heart skip a beat. He looked back at Sophie, clearly confused, wondering why in the world she would invite him. Richard obviously had his hopes, but it was ridiculous to believe that Sophie would have meant _that_. And, little did the monarch know, he wasn't the only one whose heart wavered in that moment: Asbel had also frozen at the mention of Richard's name; a name that had been in the back of his head as soon as 'love' became the subject, and which now surfaced to his consciousness violently, as if suddenly pulled from the deepest oceans and into the glaring rays of the sun. Both men looked at Sophie, each oblivious to the way the other felt, and each desperate for an answer.

"Richard," Sophie resumed, as if she could hear her friends' inner pleadings for an explanation, "You want Asbel to be happy too, right? Can you promise that you will help him... help him find love?"

The sighs let out by Richard and Asbel carried a mixture of disappointment, relief, and, above all... expectation. "Of course I want Asbel to be happy, Sophie," Richard confirmed. Actually... there was nothing he wanted more in the world.

The purple-haired girl smiled. "Then put your hand over Asbel's."

Richard's heart fluttered as he did as he was told. The contact with Asbel's hand, even through his glove, sent a pleasant chill through his arm. As Sophie recited their promise one more time, Richard shifted a timid glance at Asbel, and found heterochromatic eyes locked onto him. Then, even despite the fabric between their skins, the two of them could swear they felt each other's warmth.

Make Asbel happy. Help him find love.

It was a promise Richard definitely wanted to keep.


	8. Celebration in Yu Liberte, part 1

"Can't we stay longer? I still haven't found Richard's sopherias."

It was late afternoon in the last day of Asbel's and Sophie's stay at the castle. While Asbel usually arrived in the afternoon and left in the following morning, as not to miss too much work, he decided to make this visit longer in light of Sophie's presence; after all, the girl rarely saw Richard, and she wanted to spend as much time as possible with the friend she missed so much. Besides the first day - Asbel shuddered as he remembered the gentle touch of Richard's hand on top of his own - their stay had been unremarkable, but pleasant. There had been many delicious meals full of crablettes and curry, a visit to Gloandi and to the hill in North Barona Road, and many, many strolls around the gardens. Sophie had insisted on finding sopherias, even after Richard told her time and time again that he must have misheard the gardener; and even so, she still wanted to prolong her search.

"Sophie, I have a better idea," Richard suggested, trying to appease the girl, "On your next visit, you can bring sopheria seeds, and the three of us can plant them together. What do you think?"

Asbel had to laugh at the idea of the King of Windor digging on dirt to plant flowers, but Sophie's face was dead serious when she looked back in Richard's eyes and said, "Okay. I'll bring a whole lot of them."

"It's settled, then," he confirmed, ruffling her hair, "But in exchange, I'm going to borrow Asbel for a weekend."

The lord's jaw dropped. "H-Hey! Shouldn't you be asking _me_ first if you want to 'borrow' me for a weekend?"

An amused smile graced Richard's face, as he cupped his chin with delicate fingers. "Asbel, don't tell me you've forgotten."

"Um... Whatever it is you're talking about, I probably did forget it."

"Why am I even surprised?" Richard replied, chuckling lightly. "I was talking about the celebratory ball in Yu Liberte."

Asbel raised an eyebrow, not understanding the source of his friend's amusement. "I remember that. I don't remember saying I'd go, though."

"Well, I invited you, and you never did refuse, so I took it as a 'yes'. You will go with me, won't you, Asbel?"

Even though he knew Richard's puppy look was pure mockery, Asbel couldn't refuse those googly eyes. And that sweet voice. And that beautiful smile... Err, he just couldn't say no to his best friend.

And so, in a couple weeks, the Lord of Lhant would find himself in the heart of the Azure City.

* * *

Yu Liberte was always beautiful. Either under the glaring rays of the desert sun, or the soft glow of a half moon, the city seemed to shine. And, as Asbel stood among the scores of guests, watching as the King of Windor descended from the small platform where he had just made a speech, he had to admit that the journey was worth it.

"There you are," said a voice, taking Asbel away from his musings, "I'm glad you made it, Brother."

Asbel smiled, the speaker's identity being obvious. "Hello, Hubert," he replied, turning to face his younger sibling. "Wow. Fancy clothes, eh?"

"They're simply what's called for in this occasion," the lieutenant stated indifferently, fixing his glasses. Asbel did manage to pick up the small tinge of color that rose to his cheeks, however; even now, Hubert flustered at receiving a compliment from his older brother. "You're not too casual yourself, Brother. Actually... for your standards, you're surprisingly well-dressed."

"For my standards? Hey, what's the problem with what I usually wear?" Asbel protested in annoyance.

The answer came from a voice behind the lord, "Some would argue that it has too much white, Asbel, but I personally believe it suits you."

Asbel turned, and saw the monarch approaching. "Richard! You got here fast!"

"Is that a déjà vu I'm experiencing?" He flashed a smile towards Asbel, before addressing the lieutenant. "Hubert, the party is absolutely marvelous. I thank you for the invitation."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it, Your Highness. I thank you for your presence," Hubert replied, finishing with a curt bow.

"So, Hubert..." Richard started, moving to stand next to the lieutenant, and then gesturing towards his older brother. "I heard you approved of Asbel's current attire. He does look dashing in it, does he not?"

Under both men's scrutinizing gazes, Asbel could feel his face reddening. "D-Don't fall for it, Hubert. Richard's only making fun of the fact that he helped me pick it."

The monarch's smile faded as he mocked an expression of sorrow. "Helped you pick it?" he questioned, feigning an upset tone, "You're belittling my work, Asbel. I dressed you from scratch."

Hubert raised an eyebrow. "I must say you did an impressive job, King Richard. Dressing my brother from scratch-"

"H-Hey, he didn't actually dress me! He only picked it!" Asbel immediately interrupted, raising his voice in agitation.

"Who would insinuate that King Richard personally dressed you? What a ridiculous notion, Brother. I can't believe you're turning into a tomato because of it." Hubert shook his head, mourning for his older sibling's embarrassing behavior. He was about to open his mouth to scold Asbel even more, when he caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eyes. "E-Excuse me, I must take my leave," he muttered, quickly shuffling away. Richard and Asbel stood, confused, watching as Hubert hurriedly tried to get out of their eyesight; however, before the lieutenant could reach safety, he got tackled by a short figure.

"Richard, was that...?"

"Who else could it be, Asbel?"

The duo moved towards Hubert, who was scrambling to get back on his feet. "Y-You... You can't _jump_ on top of people like that! W-What was going on in that head of yours, Pascal?!"

The amarcian rolled on the floor, giggling, before she managed to stop and look up at the very flushed lieutenant. "I was just happy to see you, Hu!" She exclaimed, before pausing and focusing a little further behind Hubert. "Heeey, Asbel and Richard!"

Hubert froze, realizing that they must have seen the scene. Trying his best to keep his face straight, he turned and said, "Please forgive that deranged idiot."

Before either Richard or Asbel could shake the topic away, Pascal intervened, "Aw, Hu! Don't be so mean to your date!"

While Hubert's face went pale, both Richard and Asbel smiled amusedly. "Your date, Hubert?" the king teased, "Please do explain."

Again, Pascal was the one who spoke, "Oh, as soon as I found out there was going to be a party, I had to find a way to go! I mean, Strahta has the best bananas, so I knew there would be a lot of delicious deserts! ...But Hu said I wasn't invited, so I couldn't just show up. Unless I went as his date! So here I am!" She held her arms up triumphantly. "Oh, and the banana pies were the BEST! Too bad there were so few of them!"

Hubert stared, open-mouthed. " _You already ate all of them?!_ "

"Um... W-Well, they were just so good and..." Pascal flicked her gaze around, looking for a way to escape Hubert's fury. She quickly found her target, "Oh, Richard! I gotta talk to you!" Pascal exclaimed, grabbing one of the king's arm and proceeding to drag him away from the Lhant brothers.

" _Pascal!_ " Hubert shouted, darting towards the amarcian and disentangling her arm from Richard's. "Y-You can't drag him around like this!"

The woman pouted. "Why not? You never complain when I do it to you!"

"Y-You..." Hubert was almost purple, "W-Well, I'm not a king! That's why you can't do it to Richard!"

"Geez, okay, okay." Pascal crossed her arms and resumed walking. "C'mon, Your Majesty, we gotta talk!"

Richard didn't really want to leave Asbel, but he had a vague idea of what Pascal wanted to converse about... And he _definitely_ couldn't risk anyone listening. Therefore, he had no choice but to follow her.

As they made their way to an empty balcony, Richard started thinking whether he should apologize to Pascal for throwing her out during her visit. She did, after all, give him one of her inventions; and a quite amazing one, at that. Besides, maybe she only said such things in the spur of the moment, and now, with her head clear, she would realize...

"Sooo, Richard! How was it? Did you kiss? Did you make out? Did you have s-"

" _Pascal!_ "

Oh, never mind.

"Aw, Richard!" The amarcian complained, as she continuously stomped one foot on the floor. "You promised you would tell me everything!"

"I made no such promise, Pascal. What I did say to you, however, is that it was too early for anything to happen - which still holds true."

Pascal took a step forward, standing on her toes to closely look into Richard's eyes. "Really? No hanky-panky at all?"

"As I said, nothing out of the ordinary happened." Well, other than when Richard got slightly overexcited and ended up making Asbel fall. But he obviously wouldn't share that.

"I can't believe it!" Pascal yelled, balling her hands into fists and shaking them around energetically. "I was sure that, even if you were too chicken to do anything, Asbel would go and make a move! You guys are the slowest ever!"

Richard ignored the irony in Pascal's last sentence, given how thickheaded she was about Hubert's feelings, and focused on the part about Asbel. "Why would you expect Asbel to do such a thing?"

"Oh, you know, I just figured that you two would be dancing all close and holding each other and you'd be all sexy and Asbel just wouldn't resist and SMOOCH!"

Richard's mouth dropped in a rather ungracious manner. "I would be all _what_?!"

"Oh, you know, the way you always act when you're with Asbel!" Pascal pointed a finger right at the monarch's nose. "Don't play dumb, Richard!"

"I honestly have no idea of what you're talking about. I don't act any different when I'm with Asbel," he insisted, stubbornly.

"Wow, Richard. For someone so smart, you can be pretty stupid!" Pascal didn't allow him any time to protest. "You may not realize it, but you're always kind of seductive when you're alone with Asbel. Or when you _think_ you're alone, teehee."

Richard frowned. "You've been stalking us?"

"Oh, I prefer to call it cheering silently from afar! Or closely, if there's a well-positioned brush." She flashed a mischievous smile. "But let's stick to the point! You need to be more direct with Asbel, or else you'll just spend the rest of your life waiting for Mr. Dense to realize your feelings!"

Richard's gaze fell to floor, gloom falling over him. "I don't want to pressure him. Asbel is... easily swayed. He has mistaken friendship for love before. If I try to rush him, he might make a decision he would regret in the future... And I will not, no matter what, allow Asbel to be hurt."

"Even if... Even if that means you end up alone?" Pascal's voice was subdued.

"Yes... even if it means that. As long as Asbel is happy... If there's someone who could make Asbel happier than I could, then... I'd rather he ended up with that person."

Pascal opened her mouth, kept it hanging for a second, and then closed it again. She then shook her arms, as if to drive the foul mood away, and turned to Richard once more. "Well, I don't think there's anyone out there who could make Asbel happier than you, so stop being so depressing! I doubt anyone would ever love him more than you do! ...I mean, no offense to Cheria, maybe she was tied with you, but she already had her chance, so go get him!"

Richard closed his eyes and sighed, his demeanor still full of sadness despite the amarcian's words of encouragement. "Didn't you hear what I said, Pascal? If I pressure him, he might convince himself that he has feelings he doesn't actually have, all in order to avoid wounding me. I can't allow that to happen... I can't confess until I'm absolutely sure that... that he loves me back."

The amarcian crossed her arms. "Then don't confess. But don't just sit still, either! You need to give him a hand if you want him to come to a decision!"

"I'm already doing that... Pascal, really, I thank you for your support, but..."

"No buts!" she interrupted, "Listen, Richard. It's true that Asbel is totally easily swayed. But you can't compare your situation to Cheria's. I mean, in her case, we all were pressuring him, and his mom was pressuring him into getting married. In your case, _no one_ is pressuring him. As long as you don't actually use the 'L' word, he won't try to convince himself that he has feelings he doesn't have. So what I mean is that... You can go all out! Use your charm, Richard!"

"I... I will think about it," he muttered, still downcast.

"Okay, but remember that, deep down, Asbel can't wait for you to pin him against a wall and..."

" _Pascal_." He shot the amarcian a deadly glare, silencing her effectively. "We'd better return. They must be wondering what is taking us so long."

* * *

"Man, I wonder what is taking them so long," Asbel pondered, leaning back in his seat.

Hubert only groaned in response. As the minutes passed, the lieutenant had been growing redder and redder, for reasons unknown to Asbel. The lord had tried asking what was wrong, but Hubert would only grumble unintelligibly time and time again. Asbel feared that, if this kept going, his younger brother might explode.

Thankfully, Asbel soon caught sign of Richard and Pascal moving towards them. "Oh, hey, Hubert. There they a-"

" _WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU TWO DOING?!"_

...Well, there went Hubert's explosion. He jumped from his chair, all but knocking it over, and ran to stand in front of the duo, who had taken a step back in astonishment. Only then he realized how improper his reaction had been, and tried to steady his trembling body. After a set of deep breaths, Hubert managed to say in a slightly less exasperated tone, "Y-You two took too long. I was... Err, _we_ were worried."

"I'm terribly sorry, Hubert," Richard apologized, a bit shaken by the lieutenant's outburst, "We simply lost track of the time."

"Lost... track... of the time?" Hubert repeated through his teeth, eyes widening. "And what... _what_ were you two so engrossed with?"

Richard was about to come up with an excuse, but Pascal spoke first. "It's a secret!" she said, winking.

Hubert froze, his face going pale. He began taking slow steps away, not wanting to believe in the obvious implications (to his distorted, lovesick perception) of Pascal's words. As soon as Richard noticed the extent of Hubert's misunderstanding, he dashed towards the lieutenant, grabbing his shoulders and whispering, "Relationship advice, Hubert. That's what it was all about." It wasn't a lie, but he knew that Hubert would misjudge who had been the receiver of said advice and _hopefully_ calm down.

It seemed to work, as the lieutenant shot a timid glance at Pascal and color soon returned to his face. Richard gave him a reassuring nod, and, with a push on his back, sent him in the amarcian's direction. "Pascal, Hubert just told me that he would like to dance with you."

Hubert was about to turn and glare at Richard, but before he could do anything, Pascal took hold of one of his arms. "Aw, Hu! Why didn't you tell me sooner! I love dancing!" And with that, she walked away, dragging a very flushed (and overjoyed) lieutenant behind her.

Once the two were gone, Asbel grinned at Richard, "Well played."

"Those two need all the cupids they can afford," the king said, smiling back. "Now, what would you like to do, Asbel?"

The lord blinked. "You're free? No people to greet or anything?"

Richard chuckled. "I'm not the host this time, Asbel. I'm entitled to enjoy this party just as much as every other guest. Not to mention, you're here as my companion - it would be terribly rude to leave you alone."

"You mean, like you did just now?" Asbel teased, drawing an embarrassed smile from the king. "We can do whatever you want, Richard." As soon as those words came out of Asbel's mouth, the lord saw his friend's smile shift, from embarrassed to...

Oh, no. _That_ smile.

"Will you grant me a dance, Asbel?"


	9. Celebration in Yu Liberte, part 2

" _W-What?!"_

"I asked if you would dance with me, Asbel."

The lord had heard the words clearly, but he still couldn't believe - or rather, comprehend - them. Richard wanted to dance with him, in front of all these people? They were both men... It would be scandalous. Asbel wouldn't mind being the subject of gossip, but Richard... he was the king, _his_ king, and Asbel would _not_ let his reputation be tarnished.

"Given your confusion, Asbel, I can see you did not pay much attention when we walked past the dance floor." Richard slipped an arm around Asbel's waist, guiding him towards the music. "Come, take a look."

Asbel could only blink in confusion as he was pushed forward, until he was in front of the myriad of couples dancing before him. He stared, mouth agape and unbelieving. "There are... men dancing together? And... women, too?"

"If you observe carefully, you'll also notice women leading men," Richard noted, smiling. "Here in Strahta, tradition is nowhere near as strict as in Windor. Dancing is a fun activity you can share with friends; so why deny yourself the pleasure of dancing with a peer simply because he happens to be of the same gender as you?"

As Richard spoke, Asbel's eyes shot around, jumping from couple to couple. The people did act as if two men dancing together was the most common thing in existence, and some were even... The lord's eyes widened. "I just saw two guys kissing!"

"Now, now, it's impolite to point, Asbel. You're making me feel like a poor teacher," Richard teased, gently holding Asbel's raised hand with his own. "And yes, Strahta is also quite accepting of same-sex relationships. Once titles stop being something you inherit, there's no more pressure towards political marriages and producing heirs..." he paused, unconsciously giving Asbel's hand a squeeze, "And people can love who they wish." Asbel's gaze slowly turned towards his best friend, his stout fingers closely bound by Richard's delicate ones. Their eyes met, and Asbel realized that he actually... he actually _wanted_ to dance with his king. "So, Asbel..." Richard resumed, timidly, "Will you grant me a dance?"

The lord opened his mouth, and then closed it on second thought. After a pause, he started, "But... are you sure it's okay? You're still the king... the King of Windor. Won't people... gossip?" As much as Asbel would like to comply with Richard's wish, he wouldn't do it at the cost of his king's reputation.

"As long as all we do is dance, there will be nothing to gossip about, Asbel. It's not like I'm going to kiss you..." Richard paused, tilting his head as he smiled playfully, "Unless you want me to."

"Y-Yeah, as if." Asbel stuttered, reddening. He had to do his best to ignore the part of him that wanted to say _'yes please'_.

Through their still interlocked fingers, Richard led Asbel closer to the dancing pairs, where he stopped to get into position. The lord could feel curious eyes shifting towards them; surely, people were looking forward to seeing the young and handsome King of Windor dance. Asbel swallowed, his throat going dry with the fear that he might make a false step and embarrass Richard. He knew how good of a dancer his friend was, and he didn't want to set Richard back in front of all these people...

"Asbel," it was a gentle whisper, coming from lips that leaned in to comfort him, "Do not worry. I know you will do great." The lord turned his head slightly, only enough to glance at Richard's face, the two already being in position to start dancing. He saw that the king's mouth was curved into a soft smile, and his eyes were shining, as he resumed, "We don't have to prove anything. I only wish to dance with you." Asbel could feel all his insecurity melt away, and reflecting Richard's smile, he nodded to signal he was more than ready to begin.

After giving Asbel's hand a soft squeeze, Richard took the first step, and the next, and the next, and soon the pair was cruising through the floor among the many dancing couples. After a while, the curious eyes turned away, having contented themselves with the small spectacle of watching a king dance; but Asbel was past caring whether people were looking or not... For he was in Richard's arms. He was fully conscious of Richard's close presence, but this time, he didn't try to ignore it. Richard's touch didn't feel unsettling or scary, but pleasant instead; and at each step and twist, Asbel yearned for more contact. He cherished the feel of Richard's grip on his waist and the contact of their hands. He wanted to tighten his hold on Richard's shoulder and pull him closer. The warmth of Richard's breath on his cheek felt sweet, and Asbel found himself staring longingly at Richard's lips, as if they possessed some irresistible force that drew him closer and closer.

And then, the music ceased, as if breaking a spell.

Asbel was suddenly thrown back at Yu Liberte, at the ball, and in the midst of scores of people. He blinked, confused, wondering how he could have forgotten himself so badly. Was Richard's effect on him that strong?

A voice broke him out of his reverie, "Your Highness, King Richard?"

The pair turned to meet a set of large green eyes, and the young woman to whom they belonged to. "You are King Richard, aren't you?" She repeated, her luscious lips curved into an eager smile as she spoke the words.

Richard slowly let go of Asbel, and turned to face the newcomer. "I am, indeed," he declared, smiling politely.

"Wow... You're even more handsome up close," the girl beamed, leaning towards the monarch. Asbel shuffled in place, uncomfortable. She was beautiful, _too_ beautiful, and having her act so casually towards Richard, _his_ best friend, was unnerving. However, what she did next was worse; taking hold of one of Richard's arm, she chirped in her high-pitched voice, "How about we dance? That is, if your friend doesn't mind," she added, looking at Asbel in disdain.

Richard had to keep himself from flinching at the invasion of his personal space, not being comfortable with a stranger's touch. In addition, the last thing he wanted was to trade Asbel for this girl - or for anyone, for that matter - but refusing her would be extremely indelicate. He glanced at his friend, his gaze apologetic and with a hint of desperation, and Asbel nodded meekly, as if giving his permission. The lord knew quite well that Richard couldn't simply shoo the woman away, so he just turned around to find a place to sit, somewhere he could wait for the song to be over and for Richard to return to him.

Asbel settled for an empty couch, and he had to struggle to keep a proper, gentlemanly posture as he watched his king dance with the girl. Unlike Asbel himself, she was proficient in the most complicated steps, and she could gracefully follow all of Richard's movements (and not fall whenever he spun her). The lord bit his lower lip, wondering why this song was taking so insanely long, especially given how short the previous one - the one he and Richard danced to - had seemed. After what felt like an eternity, the orchestra slowed down, and Asbel rose from his seat eagerly, ready to make his way to Richard... When he saw that, even before the king could disentangle himself from the green-eyed girl, another young woman was by his side, certainly asking for a dance.

Asbel threw himself back on the couch, looking away from the dance floor in disappointment... and missing the yearning gaze Richard shifted at him. Again, he counted the seconds for the song to be over, occasionally throwing glances at the monarch's elegant figure and painfully making note of how he so deftly conducted his new partner. As the music slowed down to a halt, Asbel readied himself to stand, but before he could do so, a similar scenario repeated itself and the third woman - this time, a not so young one - approached Richard.

And so, song after song, history repeated itself, as scores of women - and even men - begged the monarch for a dance. During that time, the small pang of jealousy Asbel had felt when the first girl touched Richard grew and grew, eating away at his heart as he was forced to watch his king hold someone else, someone who wasn't Asbel. Once the pain became too much, the lord had to stand up and make for the garden, in hope that fresh air would steady his breathing and relieve the crushing pressure on his chest.

He had barely taken the first step upon the cool grass when he felt a grip on his shoulder.

"A-Asbel!" Richard was panting, his face flushed as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Richard?! Did you... did you run all the way here?"

"When I looked over at your seat and you weren't there, I... I saw your back as you left the room, and I tried to follow you, but you were walking so fast..."

Asbel hadn't even realized how quickly he had shuffled out of the room. "I-I'm sorry, I just... It was getting a little stuffy back there, and it looked like you were going to take a while, so I didn't want to bother you..."

"N-No, Asbel..." Richard interrupted, gasping, "I'm the one who is sorry. I... I insisted that you came to the party with me, and then I simply left you to dance with other people... Please... please forgive me."

"Richard... hey, come here, you'd better sit. You're really flustered." He gently held the king's hand, guiding him to a stone bench, where the duo finally sat. "And you don't have to apologize. You were only being polite. I mean, what kind of teacher would you be if you couldn't even act like a gentleman in front of your student?" He added, playfully.

Richard's features relaxed in face of the lord's smile. "Asbel... Thank you." He sighed deeply. "I believe I am feeling better now."

Upon seeing his friend recover, Asbel's smile only grew wider. "Then I know what you can do to make it up to me," he rose from his seat to stand in front of Richard. "We can hear the music from here, and there's also no one to bother us. So, why don't we dance?" Asbel added, holding his hand to the monarch.

Richard looked up, the slight tinge of pink in his cheeks barely visible under the soft glow of the moon. Asbel spontaneously asked him for a dance? Was he dreaming? Blinking a few times, he slowly placed his fingers over Asbel's open palm, which closed firmly around Richard's hand as the lord guided him to stand. Then, to his surprise, Asbel proceeded to slip an arm around his waist. "Asbel... are you going to lead me?"

The lord shifted a confused gaze at his king. "You don't want me to?"

"No... that's not it." Actually, Richard _preferred_ it that way. It meant that Asbel took the initiative, that he _wanted_ to dance with him, to be close to him, to guide him... "I would love for you to lead me."

Asbel reddened a bit at the mention of the word 'love', but in the darkness of the night, Richard failed to see it. "O-Okay, then here it goes." However, instead of taking the first step, Asbel stood still. Richard felt the lord give his hand a squeeze, and then say, "Hey, Richard? Can I ask you something?" The king nodded, and Asbel continued, "Can you... take off your gloves? It feels a little strange to lead you while you're wearing them."

Richard could only stare, his mouth slightly agape, as he fumbled like he never did before to rid his fingers of the form-fitting fabric. His heartbeat, which had been gradually increasing ever since Asbel asked him to dance, had now reached a racing pace. Everything was going too perfect to be true.

Once Richard's gloves had been relegated to his pockets, Asbel unceremoniously grabbed the king's hand. Richard was about to take a step forward, ready to get into position, when he realized Asbel remained still, his eyes focused on the slender fingers he was holding. The monarch considered inquiring about what was wrong, but before he could do so... Asbel started brushing his thumb against the back of Richard's hand. "You know, Richard... your skin is really soft," the lordly bluntly stated, his gaze still fixed on the source of his interest. Meanwhile, the monarch was frozen, his eyes wider than ever, and his heart out of control. His gaze flew to Asbel's lips, as an immense urge to kiss them swept over him. Asbel, however, was the one who moved; not for a kiss, but to encircle Richard's waist and get in position to start dancing. It didn't matter, though; now, they were only _closer_ , and Richard was leaning in...

He stopped, suddenly, as he felt the strong smell of alcohol emanating from Asbel's mouth. He slowly withdrew his head a few inches, which was enough for him to finally realize the haziness in Asbel's eyes. "Are you drunk?" Richard demanded, his voice coming out a lot harsher than he expected.

Asbel blinked, confused. "I only had one drink."

"When? I didn't see you drink at all."

"Well... when I was on my way here, I got something from a waiter."

Richard frowned. "But you had no glass when I arrived."

"Yeah..." Asbel started, throwing his head back. "I drank it all on the way, and left the glass on some table before getting here."

"You... You drank it _all_ within a few seconds?!"

Asbel laughed, as if not noticing the outrage in Richard's tone. "Oh, yeah! I chugged it alright!"

" _Asbel!_ " Richard exclaimed, taking a step back in indignation. "You are completely drunk. We're going back to the inn." He turned around, infuriated. Having Asbel lose his head to alcohol was already disappointing, but what upset Richard the most was how close he got to taking advantage of his vulnerable friend.

"No! Richard, wait!" Asbel dashed forward, grabbing Richard's wrist and forcing the monarch to face him again. Then, in a quick movement, Asbel slipped a hand around Richard's waist, and pressed all of his torso's against the king's. The lord then glued their cheeks together, and breathed in Richard's ear, "Please, just one dance."

Richard was at a loss for words. The way Asbel was holding him, the way he softly whispered to him... He knew he should push Asbel away, he knew he should take him to the inn, but... It was only an innocent dance, right? Sure, it was _that_ dance, the one some might call improper, even lewd, but...

Unable to resist, Richard placed his free arm over Asbel's shoulder. "One dance, then." From the contact of their cheeks, the king could feel his friend smile.

Asbel shuffled in place for a bit, taking his time. Richard would have grown impatient, if it wasn't for the sweet warmth in Asbel's body; just being this close to his beloved was bliss, so he felt no need to rush anything. Asbel could take the first step whenever he wanted.

However, instead of moving his feet, Asbel started to run his arm up and down along Richard's back. The monarch had to bite his lip to prevent himself from gasping, the tender motion sending chills along his spine. Eventually, Asbel murmured, "Hey, Richard... your waist is so slim," he stopped to give the king a gentle squeeze, "I'm afraid you might break if I... if I hold you too strongly..." Richard could feel his head swirling, and he had to be glad for Asbel's steadying grip on him. One dance, just one, harmless dance, and then they would leave. Dancing wasn't taking advance of Asbel, of course it wasn't!

"I-I'm not..." realizing how shaky his voice was, Richard took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm not going to break, Asbel. You can... You can hold me as strongly as you wish." In response, Asbel intensified his hold on Richard to the point where the monarch ran out of air. It would be extremely difficult to dance while being bound by such a tight grip, but Richard didn't care; he could feel all of Asbel's body against his own, and it was so sweet, so good, so heavenly, that he forgot everything else.

Finally, Asbel took the first step, carrying the king with him in an erratic movement. Still, despite the clumsiness of their stance, Asbel refused to loosen his hold on Richard, who also happened to be clutching the lord's shoulder relentlessly. They stuttered and stumbled in the darkness of the garden, but they never, ever let go of each other. They both could feel a feverish heat, a dizzying trance, and yet, they insisted. They insisted, until their awkward steps started to become progressively smoother, as they were growing used to the fierce mutual grip. The pressure, the unfaltering hold that they'd never give up on, was no longer restraining, but a force that made two bodies move as one. Against all odds, they were in harmony.

"Richard..." Asbel whispered, as their steps began to slow down, both of them exhausted and yet still unwilling to stop. Richard flinched at the way Asbel said his name, afraid for what might come next, yet still mad with anticipation.

"You... smell good..." the lord resumed, and to Richard's shock (and utmost pleasure), Asbel proceeded to nuzzle at his neck, his lips brushing against the small patch of exposed skin between the king's ear and cravat. Their dance halted completed, both too engaged in their new activity. Asbel's clumsy fingers undid the fabric around Richard's neck, granting more space for his display of affection, and making the king throw his head back, his mind already in the clouds. To Richard, there was only Asbel, Asbel's hair tickling his cheek, Asbel's lips cruising through his neck, Asbel's hands pressing against his body, wandering...

Asbel's hands, wandering dangerously low.

In shock, Richard finally remembered himself, shoving the lord away in an alarmed and sudden gesture; Asbel, lacking balance in his drunken state, fell flat on the grass. He remained seated, his eyes completely unfocused, clearly showing that he had no idea what was going - or had been going - on. Richard stared at him, as if unable to believe what had just happened, what they had done, what they _might_ have done. The more he thought about it, the redder his face grew, in a mixture of embarrassment, guilt, and repressed lust. How could Richard have failed to control himself, to this point? He felt like a beast, who gave in to instincts without the ability to think. It was... unforgivable.

No, this wasn't the time to beat himself for it. His friend needed his aid. Richard tried to clear his head by inhaling deeply, before walking over to help Asbel stand. It was a difficult task, as the lord was completely beyond himself, his body wobbling as he leaned heavily on the monarch. Richard proceeded to carry his friend towards the exit, thankful for the fact that it could be reached directly from the garden. Once they were in the main street, it was easy to find a transport to take them to the inn. Now, whether the few people they came across recognized the King of Windor or not was a mystery, but thankfully, none tried to approach him.

Only when Richard finally dropped Asbel on his bed he could feel air return to his lungs. He sat by the lethargic lord, wondering whether it would be prudent to leave him like this and head to his own room. Richard waited until Asbel's breathing acquired the steady, calm pace of one asleep, and then decided his friend could fare well on his own. Still, he felt a force holding him in place, a spell locking his eyes on Asbel's peaceful sleeping face. Slowly, Richard moved his ungloved hand towards those tranquil features, gently brushing a few auburn locks away from closed lids. Delicate fingertips ran along the contour of Asbel's face, all the way to his chin, only to climb a little and rest on the lord's half-parted lips. They felt so unbelievably soft, that Richard couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have them touch his own... And, losing himself, as if his friend's inebriation had seeped onto him, Richard leaned down and kissed Asbel.


	10. A Step Forward

Asbel's head was throbbing.

He shuffled in his bed, hoping that, by finding a new position, he could subdue the pain in his temples. But no amount of tossing around helped, and he found himself unable to return to sleep. Defeated, the lord slowly opened his eyes, jumping up as he realized he wasn't in his room in Lhant manor. Where...?

Oh, right. Yu Liberte. The party.

...The party!

His heavy lids shot open. What had happened? He struggled to remember, to brave through the fog that clouded the previous night's memories. Why was he feeling so... hung-over? When did he drink? Asbel focused on his last clear vision, which was Richard, dancing... with other people. Yes, he remembered now. He had been jealous, so jealous it hurt like a knife, so jealous he had to leave the room and swallow down a whole drink to suppress the pain. But the pain remained; it remained until he felt the touch on his shoulder, until he turned to see Richard by his side. Then, the pain disappeared... and along with it, so did his memories. Whatever he had left were flashes of varying clearness, images that might've belonged to either reality or dreams. The first was a short dialogue while sitting on a stone bench; that felt quite clear, and plausible. It must have happened, then. The next... Asking Richard for a dance. Asbel really wanted to do it, even when he was sober, so did he actually...? Maybe the alcohol gave him the confidence to do so... What next? The following flashes were so... confusing. There _was_ a dance, eventually, but it was among many flashes of _touching_ , things that Asbel just couldn't believe had happened. Were they all just dreams? Holding Richard's hand, then his entire body, nuzzling against his neck, and...

A kiss.

Unconsciously, Asbel's fingertips rose to touch his own lips, as if trying to recall what it had felt like. His whole body had been numb with alcohol, but he could swear it had been soft, sweet, and every other pleasant word he could come up with. Had it been a drunken hallucination, or reality...?

Asbel gripped the sheets. It didn't matter. It didn't matter whether it had really happened; because, whether it had been real or not, he knew that what he now felt... was real. The tightness in his chest, the dryness in his throat, it went beyond the aftereffects of alcohol. But why? Why would he be attracted to Richard, his best friend, his king, _a male_?

Of course, Richard was different. He had always been. From the moment they first met, so many years ago, Asbel had felt that Richard was... special. As soon as he saw the sad expression upon the young prince's face, Asbel had wanted to protect him; whether from furtive assassins or from crushing loneliness, it didn't matter. For Richard, Asbel would fight the most dangerous opponents, or sit with him through the darkest of nights, holding his friend until he could smile...

Holding him.

It was what Asbel wanted to do now. Even if Richard was already happy, even if he had the biggest grin ever across his face, Asbel still wanted to embrace him, to feel his warmth, the softness of his skin, the tenderness of his lips... It wasn't _only_ about making Richard happy, there was also Asbel's own... desire.

Could this feeling be...?

* * *

Unbeknown to Asbel, the cause of his reflections was just outside his door. Richard had been standing there for a few minutes, trying to muster enough courage to knock. His heart had been out of pace ever since the previous night... Ever since he kissed the sleeping lord. Asbel's eyes had been open when their lips parted, and Richard had desperately fumbled for words, trying to apologize for what he had just done... But before a coherent sound could escape his lips, Asbel drifted off to sleep again.

And now, the monarch couldn't stop wondering whether his friend would remember the previous night's events - and how Asbel's reaction to his presence would be. He reluctantly raised one of his hands and very softly knocked on the door, half hoping that Asbel wouldn't answer.

However, a faint voice did come from within, "Yes?"

Richard breathed deeply, and rested his head against the wooden frame. "Asbel, it is I. May I come in?"

"S-Sure..."

The monarch turned the knob, opening the unlocked door. Inside, Asbel was sitting on his bed, still wearing the same clothes he had in the party. Their former elegance was dulled by a myriad of wrinkles and crumples, though it was still nowhere near as messy as the lord's bed hair.

"Are you feeling better, Asbel...?" Richard asked, testing the waters.

"Well... Other than having a bit of a hangover... I'm okay." The lord scratched the back of his head, his nervous gaze jumping between different pieces of furniture. "I'm... I'm sorry for troubling you, Richard. I can't even remember what happened last night."

Richard sighed; partly relieved, and partly disappointed. "It's alright, Asbel. Just promise me to drink more responsibly next time. You have a surprisingly low alcohol tolerance." He moved to sit next to his friend, his heart increasing in pace as he did so. Richard wanted to run his fingers through those disheveled auburn locks, but for now, he didn't dare touch Asbel. "Our turtlez transport will be leaving in an hour. Do you think you can be ready by then?"

"I'll be ready," Asbel confirmed, smiling faintly. Richard smiled back, getting up to return to his room. As much as he wanted to spend more time with Asbel, he was having a hard time facing him at the moment.

"Hey, Richard?" the lord muttered, causing his friend to pause shortly before he could close the door. "For being with me... Even though I was such a burden... T-Thank you."

"You're welcome, Asbel," Richard replied, finally shutting the door as he did so. And, as the king made his way back to his room, unsaid words kept ringing in his head; _'No matter what, Asbel... I'll always want to be with you.'_

Would Richard ever have the courage to speak them out?

* * *

Their journey back to Windor was a silent one. Both men were trying to sort out their thoughts, and so the words exchanged were few. Asbel spent most of the time fidgeting and occasionally slipping shy glances at Richard, who appeared lost in his own world. And, once it was time for them to part, their goodbye was restrained, and left Asbel with a lingering pain in his chest.

During the following days, the lord couldn't stop recollecting the events in Yu Liberte. He felt as if his mind was permanently clouded, as if the inebriation had never left him; the fog was a barrier, keeping him from thinking clearly, making him unable to figure out what in the world he felt... what he felt for Richard. And so, his torment went on, until one afternoon proved to turn out different.

It started with the usual soft knocking on his study's door, which always preceded a notice from Frederic. Once the butler was inside, he announced, "Lord Asbel, you have a visitor."

Asbel raised his eyebrows in surprise. Unannounced visitors weren't rare, but anything unexpected always left him slightly curious. "Please let them in, Frederic."

The older man bowed and disappeared behind the wooden frame. Shortly later, the door was opened again...

"Captain!" Asbel jumped from his chair, both shocked and happy to see his former instructor.

"Hello, Asbel. Looks like you really did miss me, eh?" Malik stated through a grin.

"W-Well, it's been ages since I last saw you... Besides, I wasn't expecting you!"

The former captain trod across the room to sit on the chair Asbel had previously been occupying. "I don't need to announce myself to a humble lord. Who do you think you are, King Richard?" he teased, leaning back in his seat.

Asbel tried not to flinch at the mention of Richard's name. "Ha, very funny, Captain," he started, composing himself, "I hope you don't mind sleeping outside, then, since this humble lord might happen to be out of guestrooms."

"As if you'd ever have enough visitors to fill the mansion," Malik replied, as he proceeded to rest his feet on the desk, "And I don't plan on staying the night, either way. I only made a brief stop to greet my dear former student. I'm actually on my way to Barona."

"You're going to... see Richard?" Asbel inquired, his voice sounding strangely stiff.

"Yes. We're discussing a new trade policy between Fendel and Windor." Placing his feet back on the floor, Malik stood up, and moved to stand with his arms crossed in front of the young lord. "Asbel, did something happen between you and King Richard?"

"W-Why would you say that?" he stuttered, face reddening.

"I found your reaction to be odd when I first mentioned him, but I tried not to dwell on it. However, I just couldn't ignore how abnormal your voice sounded when you said his name."

Asbel felt transparent in front of Malik's piercing gaze, as if he could stare straight into his brain. "It's just your imagination, Captain," the young lord said, in an attempt to shrug the topic off. Then, hastily, he made for the door, "I was about to have lunch. You can eat, too, if you want." Asbel hoped he wouldn't.

"That's a tempting offer. I suppose I'll have to accept it, given how having a meal in the road shouldn't be very pleasant," Malik replied, giving his former student a teasing pat on the back. Asbel frowned, but having made the offer, he couldn't send his guest away now.

It just wouldn't be gentlemanly.

And so, Malik joined Asbel, Sophie and Lady Kerri in the dining room. In front of his former student's mother, Malik was an angel, though the young lord knew quite well that, as soon as she turned her back on him, the Captain would resume his habit of prattling to Sophie. Still, he must've had some new agenda, for as soon as the meal was over, it was to Asbel that Malik turned, "How about we men have coffee in your study, Asbel?"

The lord raised an eyebrow, but complied. Frederic brought a tray to the study, and as soon as he left, Malik started, "So, Asbel. I heart you broke up with Cheria?"

The young lord nearly spilled his drink. " _What?!_ W-Where did you hear that?!"

"Pascal told me," Malik answered, amused at the boy's reaction. "Now, Asbel, if there is one thing I know, is that we men don't run from such a lovely lady unless we have someone else in mind. Therefore, I can't help but believe that you are hiding your new sweetheart from us."

"I-I... Captain..." Asbel looked down at the dark liquid swirling in his cup. "I don't know. I don't know if... if I'm really in love."

"My poor inexperienced student!" Malik placed his untouched coffee on the tray, relegating it completely. "Should I teach you about what being in love feels like?"

The lord raised his gaze, his eyes wide. "Y-Yes! I don't... I don't want to make the same mistake again."

"Well, Asbel, I find it unlikely that you would - at least in the exact same way. You see, love is when friendship and attraction come together. It's common for people to mistake attraction alone for love, but friendship?" He pointed a finger at his former student. "You, Asbel, are one of a kind. You weren't attracted to Cheria - heavens know why - but you still convinced yourself that you were in love with her as not to hurt her feelings. Usually, however, it is the other way around. People find someone attractive, and they begin idealizing a relationship with them, when all they actually want is to tumble into bed with said person."

Asbel frowned. "I don't think that is my case, Captain."

"Are you sure, Asbel?" Malik leaned forward, staring intently into the young lord's eyes. "Tell me, do you want to make that person happy, above all else?"

"Yes!"

"And do you want to be by their side, no matter what happens?"

"I do!"

"Would you even be willing to sacrifice yourself for them?"

"I would!"

Malik smiled, his gaze softening. "I see. Now, the final question: on top of all that, do you often fantasize about making _sweet, sweet love_ to that person?"

Asbel's face gained a shade of pink, as he stuttered, "I... I d-do."

"Really? How often?"

"...R-Recently... A-At l-least o-once a d-day..." The poor lord was crimson now.

"Good! You are in love, Asbel Lhant." Malik stood up, in triumph. "I believe my work here is done, then. I'd better get on the road." As the Captain walked towards the door, Asbel remained in his seat, his head hanging low as to hide his persistent embarrassment. "Oh, Asbel?" Malik said as was about to leave, throwing a sideways glance at his former student. Once the young lord mustered enough courage to look back at him, he added, "Good luck confessing to King Richard," before immediately closing the door.

It was a shame that Malik didn't get to see Asbel's gaping mouth.


	11. Two Steps Back

Richard had never gone through so many changes of heart in so few days.

Ever since the party, his pessimistic and optimistic sides had been conflicted as to figure _why_ Asbel had behaved like he did. Part of him thought _'He really does love me!'_ , while the other went _'Fool, he is probably one of those lustful drunks who grope whoever is in front of them.'_ Of course, when Richard put his mind into it, it didn't make sense for Asbel to be that kind of drunk; it simply did not go along with his personality. Yet, Richard didn't dare to assume that Asbel would love _him_. Even though he had spent years hoping for it, and months working for it, he still found himself unworthy of Asbel's love - after everything Richard had done, all his horrible deeds, how could Asbel possibly love him? Just being able to remain his friend already seemed like a miracle, and if Richard attempted to fly too close to the sun... he'd only get burned.

These thoughts kept the monarch locked in place, unable to make a move, too scared to risk any boldness. Even though he, in light of Pascal's advice, had devised a way that would finally reveal whether Asbel returned his feelings or not, he could not bring himself to write that one letter; the letter to summon Asbel for the most important lesson of all.

And that was the dilemma that plagued Richard when Malik arrived for their scheduled meeting.

Despite his fears and doubts about romance, Richard always tried to focus completely on his duties; and so, their dealings went smoothly, albeit taking slightly longer than usual.

"Thank you, Malik. I'm sure this new treaty will be proven beneficial to both our countries." As they said their goodbyes, Richard hoped that the older man wouldn't notice his abnormal behavior.

"I'm the one who thanks you, Your Highness," the Fendelian ambassador replied, bowing. He watched as the king made a move to leave, before continuing, "Oh, King Richard?"

The monarch turned, his expression slightly puzzled at being called back. "Yes, Malik?"

"I stopped by Lhant on my way here. I think Asbel might be visiting you within the next few days... probably tomorrow, I would say."

Richard's eyes widened. He had to restrain himself as not to sound overly excited, "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, just a hunch, Your Highness," Malik added with a cocky smile. "I guess I must've had the feeling that he missed you a lot."

After hearing these words, the monarch hastily turned, muttering a "T-Thank you" before walking away.

Once Richard disappeared in the hallway, Malik let out a chuckle. It was not always one could presence the King of Windor blushing.

* * *

Hope!

That was what Malik's simple words gave Richard. If Asbel really did visit him soon... then he would do it. He would take the final step. Everything was planned, ready. In his mind, Richard enacted the upcoming lesson, over and over again; even though he knew that, when the moment came, his heart would flutter so madly that thinking straight would be impossible... the idea of Asbel in his arms enchanted him. How would Asbel act? Would he be bold, like in the party? Grasping Richard with all his strength, sucking every bit of air out of him, sweeping him off his feet? Or would Asbel be shy and sweet, nervous yet eager, blushing as Richard's lips touched his own? ...Oh, but the way Asbel acted didn't matter. As long as he returned Richard's feelings, everything would be perfect, because it would be _Asbel_. Asbel, of whom Richard had always dreamed, whispering the same words of love that Richard had retained in his heart and in the back of his throat for so long... It would happen, it would really happen, and Richard couldn't think of anything else.

And so, for every moment following the meeting with Malik, the king had been unable to concentrate on his work, being too absorbed in the prospect that Asbel might arrive at any second. He would find the most mundane reasons for leaving his study and pacing around the castle, hoping he could meet Asbel as soon as the lord walked past the gates.

And it was during one of these strolls that he came across Dalen.

"Your Highness!" He bowed low. "What a fortunate coincidence! I was on my way to bring you very good news."

Richard couldn't help but grin like a child on the verge of their birthday. "Oh? Would it happen to be a visitor?"

Dalen looked surprised. "You already knew about him, Your Highness?"

"I suppose you could say there has been some foreshadowing. Now, where is he?"

The older man's eyes shone, his face beaming with happiness. "Your Highness! I'm so glad to see you this enthusiastic about meeting Marquis Salisbury! He is awaiting you at-"

" _What?_ " Richard interrupted, his smile fading immediately. "Salisbury is the visitor?"

Dalen paled at his king's change of mood. "Y-Yes, Your Highness. Were you... expecting someone else?"

"In fact, I was. But ignore my expectations; what is that man doing here? Have I not refused his offer time and time again?" An annoyed frown was staining the monarch's fair features.

"Your Highness... I understand your distaste regarding the Marquis, but his daughter is an immaculate angel. Beautiful, caring, flawless education... She is the perfect candidate for the next Queen of Windor."

"Dalen, I lost count of how many times I told you the following, but I do not wish to marry so soon. There is still much to be done before I even begin thinking about finding a wife."

"Which is why I'm doing all the thinking for you, Your Highness! I found you the perfect match, and I will obviously make all the necessary arrangements. All I want is for you to have a Queen and an heir as soon as possible. Not to mention that the Marquis is one of the richest men in all of Windor, and we still have debts to pay from the Valkines crisis."

"So you are suggesting I whore myself to pay debts?" The king's harshness made Dalen shrink, but Richard always ran of patience easily when the subject was marriage. "I will not marry the Marquis' daughter. Send him away."

"Y-Your Highness... Would you at least meet him? He personally came all the way here, so he if could at least see you..."

Richard sighed. "Fine, if that will appease you. And I'll be sure to make it clear that he is not to make that offer again. You are excused."

"Thank you very much, Your Highness," Dalen bowed as low as his age would allow him, turned, and left.

The monarch exhaled in annoyance. Dalen might mean well, but sometimes, his insistence was unnerving. Gazing out through the window, Richard decided to take a walk across the garden before heading to meet the Marquis; he could use the fresh air, and the arrogant nobleman would certainly benefit from a prolonged wait. However, he would head there by means of the main hallway; after all, he was still hoping to encounter Asbel at any moment.

And, this time, his expectations were fulfilled.

Richard would recognize that pristine white coat anywhere, and the mass of auburn hair that always accompanied it. He needed every ounce of restraint he ever possessed as not to break into a run towards his best friend's arms.

Asbel, however, was a tiny bit short of such restraint, and as soon as he saw the king, he couldn't help but increase his pace to a trot. He stopped a couple inches away from Richard, as if suddenly realizing how improper his behavior was, but the monarch didn't care; he wrapped his arms around the lord, holding him in a tight embrace. Asbel immediately returned the gestured, and whispered, "R-Richard, I'm sorry for coming here unannounced, but I... I missed you so much."

Richard could feel his heart pounding in his chest even as they took a step apart, Asbel's smile beaming so beautifully that he wanted to forget everything and just kiss him right there. "I missed you too, Asbel. You have no idea how happy I am to see you here."

The lord made for the monarch's hands, giving them a soft squeeze. "Can we go somewhere private, Richard? I... I have something important to say to you."

Richard's heart rate increased even further, his eyes nearly tearing with excitement. "Asbel..." He gripped his friend's fingers in return, wishing he wasn't wearing gloves so he could feel all of their warmth. "I... Can you wait for me in my study? I simply need to get a small affair out of the way, and then I'll join you there." Damned be that Marquis, he thought. Richard didn't want to wait a single second longer to be in Asbel's arms.

Still smiling, Asbel gave Richard's hands one last squeeze before letting go of them. "Well, don't take too long, okay?"

"I won't, Asbel," the monarch replied, smiling back as he walked away in a brisk pace, so that he could be with his friend, his beloved, as soon as possible.

Asbel sighed as he watched Richard disappear along the corridors, knowing that this would feel like the longest wait of his life. Still, he had no choice, so all he could do was make his way to Richard's study. Already well-acquainted with the castle's layout, it was an easy journey; but once inside, he found himself unable to stay still, too excited with the prospect of what was about to happen. He walked in circles around the room, alternating between looking out the window, examining the intricate details in the furniture, and...

What were these papers on top of Richard's desk? They were spread out, instead of being stacked in the usual perfect, organized fashion that every single of the monarch's belongings would always be. Maybe Richard had been going through them earlier, and still planned to analyze them further? Asbel wondered what they were about; from afar, they all looked like letters, and every single one of them seemed to have markings and notes. Richard must have been really absorbed in them...

In his boredom, Asbel decided to take a peek. It wasn't polite to pry into other people's documents, much less the king's, but this was _Richard_ ; Richard, his best friend, who had nothing to hide from him. Besides, Asbel would want to tease him for leaving his desk in such disarray, unbecoming of a gentleman like himself. Maybe he'd also volunteer to teach Richard a lesson or two; though of course, all of this would come _after_ Asbel confessed his feelings. That would, obviously, be first and foremost.

Asbel was now close enough to lean over the desk and scan the documents' actual contents. He smiled as he did so, wondering if he could acquire more teasing material out of them. But, unlike what the lord expected, they weren't about treaties, or diplomatic meetings, or audience requests.

The letters that Richard had been so absorbed in... were marriage proposals.

Asbel's eyes became empty. His expression, which had been that of blissful happiness ever since he arrived at the castle, twisted in one of distress. Shaky hands reached out to pick up one of the letters, and another, and another, as he realized that all of them had been carefully chosen from what must've been a larger pile, and each had the most outstanding qualities from the suitors underlined, while notes at the bottom of the page highlighted why each of the girls had the potential to be the next Queen of Windor. Once he had seen enough, he dropped them all back on the desk.

So Richard wanted to find a wife.

Asbel clenched his fists, his knuckles whitening as his whole body trembled. He wanted to scream at his foolishness. How conceited had he been, to believe that Richard was in love with him? How blind was he, to not see that his king was on the verge of marriage? He bit his lip, so strongly he thought he could feel the metallic taste of blood. His chest hurt, it hurt so much, he thought his knees would give away from the pain.

But no. Asbel couldn't let Richard find him in that state. He rushed out of the study, nearly knocking over a servant in the hall. He thought he could hear something in the lines of _'Lord Asbel, I have finished preparing the guestroom for you,'_ and he all but ran to the comfort of his chamber; a place where he could break down and no one would see it.

He didn't know how he would be able to face Richard so soon.

* * *

After dealing with the unpleasant Marquis, Richard hurried as fast as he could to his study. His brief encounter with Asbel - the way his friend ran to him, their embrace, and above all, the words spoken - had left him mad with anticipation. Asbel had something important to tell him... Could it be...? Maybe Richard wouldn't need Pascal's strategy, after all.

With his heart on his throat, Richard opened the door to his study... only to find it empty.

Disappointed and confused, he glanced around the room, hoping to find Asbel hidden somewhere. His search was fruitless, however; there was no trace of the lord to be found. Richard was about to head back outside and check the guestroom, when a servant came rushing into the chamber.

"Your Highness," he panted, handing the king a folded piece of paper, "Lord Asbel sends you a message."

"Thank you. You're excused," Richard replied, unfolding it and scanning through its contents as soon as the servant closed the door. The message was brief; it read _'Sorry, but I suddenly felt indisposed. Please let me rest alone for a while. -Asbel'_

Richard sighed, cursing his luck. He knew that a few hours were very little compared to how long he had waited, and yet... At that moment, he wanted Asbel more than he ever did. Richard started daydreaming as to why Asbel had retired to his room; maybe he got shy about confessing? The king smiled at the idea, imagining a blushing and stuttering Asbel. Well, the reason didn't matter; it all would be worth it in the end, wouldn't it?

Deciding it was better to occupy himself until he could see Asbel again, Richard moved to his desk, planning on doing some paperwork. To his surprise, he found it riddled with marriage proposals; and, recognizing Dalen's handwriting, he realized that this was yet another attempt to get him to find a wife soon.

Sighing once more, Richard relegated all the letters to the trash bin. No matter how vehement the monarch was, he could never convince Dalen that marriage was something he would never look forward to. After all, Richard already had someone in his heart.

Forgetting about the paperwork, his thoughts once more returned to Asbel. The wait had to be over soon; at this point, nothing else could go wrong... right?


	12. Crisis

What could've gone wrong?

As Richard sat alone in front of the dinner table, he knew something must have gone astray. Asbel was never this late; Asbel never left Richard waiting this long. But it had been over fifteen minutes since the scheduled time, and he still hadn't heard anything of the lord.

Was Asbel sick? Did something happen? Maybe there had been distressing news from Lhant? If so, why hadn't Richard been informed?

The sudden sound of approaching steps dragged him away from his musings. His eyes shifted to its direction, eager to see-

Asbel.

The lord approached slowly, almost hesitantly. "I'm sorry for being late," he mumbled, making a point of avoiding the king's gaze.

Richard could only stare, wide-eyed. He had to wait a few seconds to let reality sink in, before asking, "Asbel, are you alright?"

Asbel finally looked up, but as soon as his eyes met Richard's, his gaze fell back to his plate. "I'm... I'm fine, Richard," his voice was subdued, "Don't worry about me."

His request was obviously unheeded; at the moment, Richard worried as much as one could possibly worry. He worried as the minutes dragged on and Asbel remained silent; he worried as Asbel's eyes averted him for the remainder of the meal; he worried as Asbel left his plate almost untouched; and he worried as Asbel stood from his chair and walked away, with nothing but a weak _'goodnight'_.

Richard was unable to say anything to stop him. As he watched Asbel leave, he felt powerless. Asbel had always been the one to reach out to him; whenever Richard closed himself, locking his feelings from the world, Asbel would break in and drag him out into the open. Asbel would grab his hand and he wouldn't let go, no matter what happened.

But now, Asbel's hand was far from his reach. Asbel had shut himself, and Richard had never learned how to open a door. He could only watch as Asbel left, not knowing what to do or say - and when he was finally gone, Richard felt miserable.

_Why, why, why?_

It made no sense. Only a few hours before, Asbel had been running towards him, holding him, talking about how much he missed him. He had _something important_ to tell him. And he never did say it, did he?

_Why, why, why?_

Richard had wandered back to his chambers, barely conscious of his steps. How could Asbel's behavior change so drastically within such a short period? What could have happened to cause such a change?

He was now lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling with empty eyes. What would happen now? Would Asbel leave in the morning, without another word? Would Richard have to wait days, weeks, until Asbel would tell him what was wrong? And would he even tell him?

No! He couldn't. He couldn't let Asbel leave like that. Richard wouldn't be able to endure it; not after everything that happened. Things were different now. He couldn't let Asbel go.

Before, Asbel had been unattainable; an impossible dream. Even though he longed for Asbel with every fiber in his body, he had accepted the fact that he would never have him. It pained him, but pain wasn't alien to Richard, and he had learned to live with many forms of it.

But with the dissolution of Asbel's engagement, matters began to change. A spark of hope was kindled, and through time, it grew. There was something in the fleeting touches, which grew in frequency and were not so fleeting anymore; there was something in the embraces, a warmth in Asbel's body, a tinge of pink in his cheeks; there was something behind the words, behind the exchanged glances - everything seemed to go beyond what friendship could instill.

Hope became so strong, it was almost conviction. Asbel was no longer unattainable, and dream was about to become reality. Once Asbel had been within his reach, so close to becoming his, Richard could no longer bear to lose him. It would not merely be painful; it would kill him.

He had to do something. If Asbel left for Lhant while matters stood like that, Richard's last chance would leave with him. He knew that, if he did nothing, everything would change between them.

It would be difficult; Richard knew he was a coward when it came to expressing his feelings. He was always afraid of being exposed, of being judged, of being used, of being betrayed. But this was Asbel, the person who he trusted the most, who he loved the most. What was there to fear?

He would do it. He had to do it.

This time, Richard would be the one reaching.

* * *

The meal had left Asbel angry and frustrated - not at Richard, but at himself.

He had spent the afternoon trying to find a way to hide his feelings, to put on a mask that would not show how hurt he was. He did not want to burden his best friend with unspoken anguish, or worse, with unrequited love - so he could not say anything. He had to seem fine, to be able to smile and brush away any concern Richard might have.

But when the clock showed it was time for dinner, Asbel knew he would fail. And so, he spent minutes debating whether he should go or not: what would be worse, joining Richard and not being able to properly talk to him, or not showing up at all? Richard would be worried, either way. Asbel would burden him, no matter what he did - and he hated that.

In the end, he opted for going, hoping he could muster enough strength to appear well. But it was in vain, and everything ended up going far worse than he had anticipated. He couldn't speak, he couldn't eat, and he couldn't as much as look at Richard, no matter how hard he tried.

But it wasn't Richard's fault!

Asbel was the one who arrogantly assumed that Richard was in love with him. He thought Richard had sent all the signs in the last few months - and it was because of them that Asbel realized his own feelings. But the marriage letters proved he had been mistaken; Richard didn't actually feel that way for him. However, now that Asbel's own feelings had surfaced... he could not drown them back. They overwhelmed him, and he did not know how long it would take for him to be able to breathe freely again - and would he ever?

And he took it all on Richard, by being cold to him. He hadn't been able to help it then, and now, he hated himself for it. He didn't want to make Richard suffer - Richard was the last person who he could bear to hurt.

Asbel would leave, first thing in the morning. He would come up with a good excuse, write a long letter - it was easier to conceal his feelings in writing - and go. He wouldn't be able to meet Richard for a while, but until then, he would write often. Anything to keep Richard from worrying, anything to make him happy.

Having made his decision, Asbel attempted to sleep. It was difficult, as expected - his eyelids felt heavy, but his brain refused to shut down. He began remembering the many times in the past months that he stayed awake because of Richard, back when confusion would keep him restless. Now, however, he knew what he wanted; and he thought that, if he slept, he could dream of Richard... and in his dreams, Richard would love him back. Eluded by this idea, Asbel was finally able to close his eyes.

It was true that such a dream would only make reality hurt more in the morning, but for now, he wanted to escape.

Asbel slept deeply until dawn, when he was woken by the sunrays that flooded his room freely. At first, he cursed his lack of attention, which had caused him to forget to close the curtains; but then, he realized it may have been for the best - if he left early, there would be no chance of running into Richard. He packed quickly, but before he could reach the door, there was the soft sound of knocking upon it.

Asbel froze. Was there any chance it might be Richard? No, impossible. There was no way the king would've spent the night by his door, waiting to knock until he heard rustling inside... was there?

"Lord Asbel, are you awake?"

There was his answer - it wasn't Richard. Asbel sighed and said, "Yes, I am."

"May I come in?"

Already being by the door, Asbel opened it himself. The servant outside bowed, and said, "Shall we have breakfast served in your room, my lord?"

"Breakfast?" _Was that what he came for?_ "I'm actually about to leave, so there is no need. I can eat at the road."

The servant looked unsurprised. "I'm afraid you'll have to delay your departure, my lord. His Highness was quite emphatic that I do not allow you to leave so soon." He paused. "Now, shall I have breakfast brought here? His Highness would like to meet you as soon as you are done eating."

Asbel's eyes were wide. "But... it's so early. Is he even awake?"

"Oh yes, my lord. Now, please do excuse me, as I'll be sending word for your food." He bowed again, and then added, "Remember to head to His Highness's study as soon as you can." With that, he left.

A generous breakfast arrived soon, and Asbel forced himself to eat as much as he could. He tried to return to his normal state of mind, hoping he could increase his chances of convincing Richard that he was okay. Once there was enough food in his stomach and enough confidence in his heart - as much as he could muster in his state, at least - he left for Richard's study.

The time Asbel took to get there felt both too long and too short. He stood by the door, taking one last deep breath before knocking. There was shuffling inside, and the door soon opened - and there stood Richard.

It was funny what a single night of sleep could do to a person. On the previous day, Asbel couldn't as much as look at the king, but now... He felt his eyes locked on Richard's. His desperation to leave turned into an immense desire to stay, to hold Richard and scream how much he loved him, as if begging and tears could win his friend's heart. But Asbel would never sink so low as to guilt Richard into returning his feelings, so he stood still and silent, trying to ignore the pain in his chest.

"Asbel," Richard's voice was soft and gentle, as it always was, "thank you for coming. Please, enter."

Asbel stepped inside, and Richard closed the door after him. He wanted to ask why he had been called, but hesitation was greater than curiosity, so he waited for Richard to speak again.

"I thought that, since you came all the way here... I could teach you something."

Asbel's mouth was agape. "You called me here for... a lesson?" He could hardly believe it. Richard went through the trouble of instructing a servant to keep Asbel in the castle, only so that he could have one damned lesson? The king himself woke up at this hour, for that? And, worse of all: he put Asbel through the torture of wondering what he had been called for, when all he wanted was something so... ordinary!

Richard's expression was still serious. "Yes, Asbel. I did."

Asbel took a deep breath. At least this was better than being asked about his odd behavior on the previous day. Maybe spending some time together, as friends and nothing more, could help calm his heart... or so he hoped. "Well... What's today's topic, then?"

"It is one of the most important things a gentleman must know, Asbel. I suppose I should have taught you this sooner, given how vital it is." Richard paused, raising an ungloved hand to lightly touch Asbel's cheek. The lord's eyes immediately locked onto Richard's, and only then the king resumed speech.

"This lesson will be... on courting."


	13. On Courting

It had to be a joke. Either Richard's sense of humor was a lot wickeder than he thought, or fate had decided to have a laugh at Asbel's expense. The lord remained speechless, staring in bewilderment at the king, until the latter spoke.

"The noblemen of Windor are expected to follow a certain conduct when attempting to display their interest in a... a lady," Richard stuttered at the end, as if he had to struggle to find the word he was supposed to use. "The fact that even love has to be subjected to society's demands does not rest well within me, and yet... Maybe it can be advantageous, allowing both parties to clearly understand the other's feelings."

Asbel had his eyes still locked on Richard's, and for the first time in the morning, he saw the king's gaze shift away nervously, as he said, "Asbel, is there... is there a woman you are... in love with?"

It was Asbel's turn to look down. "No. No woman."

Richard's eyes wandered back to Asbel's face, and those amber irises seemed to possess a new shine. "Really...? Still... It is something important to know. Such feelings... they can slip into your heart at any time. One day, you may suddenly realize that... that they're simply there."

"Yeah... I suppose you're right, Richard." Asbel couldn't understand where the conversation was going, but his chest already hurt.

There was a prolonged silence, during which the two men exchanged glances. However, realizing that nothing would come out of it, Richard finally said, "I'll begin by instructing you on how to initiate courtship, Asbel. There is a variation of the Windorian greeting whose purpose is to demonstrate your interest in... a lady."

Asbel blinked in confusion. "I don't remember you teaching me that."

"Oh... I must have overlooked it," Richard lied, his real reason for not teaching this specific greeting being more than mere inattention. "I can demonstrate it now."

Richard's hand made a familiar sweeping movement, as elegant and graceful as Asbel remembered it. The difference was first seen in the bowing part; it was lower, and in that same movement, Richard gently caught Asbel's hand - and pressed soft lips against it.

Asbel's heartbeat increased; Richard remained with his lips pressed against the back of his hand, while delicate fingertips caressed his palm. It lasted for a while, too long to seem proper, but when Richard finally moved away, Asbel felt it had been brief, too brief. Even though it was only a lesson, a meaningless demonstration, he wanted more; because that would be the last time he'd have Richard in such a way. He needed this to last as long as it could.

Once Richard let Asbel's hand go, the two stood in silence. A moment passed, and then Richard spoke, "If you believe you missed any detail, Asbel... I can repeat it for you."

Asbel did not miss anything, but he would have accepted the offer for different reasons - except he thought of something better. "I think I got it, Richard," he had to pause, a bit hesitant to speak what he had in mind, "But maybe I should try doing it myself now." Asbel knew it would be like surrendering himself to a sweet dream, only to suffer even more when bitter reality came back to greet him; but, at the moment, the dream was impossible to resist, and the urge for a brief solace was greater than the fear of the pain that would await him afterward.

The sweep and the bow came naturally to him. Reaching for Richard's hand made his heart increase in pace, but pressing his lips against it felt more natural than the greeting itself. He moved his fingers across Richard's soft skin, and vaguely remembered the one night he had done this before - the party at Yu Liberte. Now, however, he was sober, and the fact that he would have clear memories of this day left him both happy and sad.

Asbel also took his time, and made a point of softly brushing his lips across Richard's hand as he finally moved away. His fingers were slow to let go of Richard's, but eventually, they also had to part with that warm softness.

"...It was perfect, Asbel."

The lord nearly gasped upon hearing Richard's voice. He had almost forgotten that this was a lesson, being too eluded by the idea of courting Richard. "Th-Thank you."

Richard took a deep breath, preparing himself to resume the explanation. "Once you perform the greeting, the other party has to demonstrate... _her_ interest on you. This is done by moving towards you or staying still. If a lady does not show interest in being courted, a gentleman must cease all advances at once. There is no greater rudeness than unwarranted insistence."

Asbel bit his lip. "I understand."

"Since most of the courting is done at parties, if the lady demonstrates interest, there is a dance. In that case, you do not have to repeat the greeting; the lady will simply get into stance upon moving towards you."

"And this dance... is it the same as usual?"

"No, Asbel. There is some variation, as befitting of the courting act."

"Then..." Asbel took a step forward, and slipped an arm over Richard's shoulder. The king froze with the sudden action, staring wide-eyed at Asbel's face, now only a couple inches away from his own. Asbel, in turn, remained silent, his gaze focused on Richard's eyes as he waited.

Once enough time passed and no explanation was provided, Richard said, "A-Asbel?"

"You said the dance was different, right? If so... shouldn't you demonstrate?" He paused. "I... I took a step towards you, so... it means I'm interested." As the weight of his own words fell upon Asbel, his gaze also flew away from Richard's face. "Only... only in the hypothetical scenario, of course," he lied.

"Yes... of course," Richard repeated, almost in a whisper. He proceeded to encircle Asbel's waist with an arm, while holding his hand up with the other. Then, in sudden realization, he said, "We don't have music."

Asbel did not move. "Isn't the music box here?"

"No... I left it in the sparring room," Richard replied, regret clear in his voice.

Instead of stepping away, Asbel tightened his hold on Richard's shoulder. "It's okay. It doesn't matter. You can still show me how to do it. We can... imagine the music."

"Asbel..." Richard's voice trailed off, and he leaned his body closer to Asbel's. His lips and nose softly brushed again Asbel's cheek as he moved to whisper in his ear, "In this dance, the pair needs to stand closer," Richard delicately pressed his palm against Asbel's waist, only enough for their torsos to barely touch, "but not in the feverish, extreme way from that other rhythm I taught you. This is subtle and gentle... romantic rather than passionate..." As he spoke, Richard caressed Asbel's back with such tenderness, that the lord could barely hold the shivers that wanted to travel his body. "Every movement, every step, needs to convey your feelings... To show the other person how much you love them." Even the way Richard held Asbel's hand in the air had an unmatched gentleness to it, his fingers giving light, reassuring squeezes, his thumb trailing small circles on Asbel's skin.

Everything Richard did made Asbel long to be closer to him - couldn't Asbel forget everything and hold Richard, and tell him how much _he_ loved _him_? No, no, he knew he couldn't, but... this situation was driving him mad. A small part of him knew he had to stop this at once, or else his heart would never endure, but he'd never have the strength to part with Richard now.

Not when Richard was holding him like this.

"Asbel," it was but a whisper in his ear, the sweetest whisper he had ever heard, "it will be difficult without the music, but I'll take the first step now. May... may I?"

Asbel, unable to speak, responded with a nod - a nod that was not seen, but rather felt through the contact between their cheeks. And so, Richard moved.

The dance that followed was completely different from Asbel's previous experiences. In the absence of music, he could feel Richard's close presence even more clearly than he usually did - and, now that they both were in silence, his touch had an even greater effect on Asbel. As they moved quietly around the room, all that could be heard was the soft sound of their steps, and their rapid, ragged breathing. Richard never stopped caressing Asbel, even while they danced; his hand still traveled along Asbel's back, his fingers still squeezed Asbel's hand, and if that wasn't enough, his lips also began moving, brushing against Asbel's cheek, ear and neck.

It was too much. It was unfair. And if Richard could play this game, Asbel also wanted in.

He slipped the hand he had on Richard's shoulder to his blond locks, running his fingers through them. His other hand began returning Richard's squeezes, and soon their fingers themselves seemed to dance, as they slowly intertwined, and in that way remained. Yet not satisfied, Asbel nuzzled against Richard's neck - feeling a strange sense of déjà vu as he did so - and then rested his head on his shoulder, as their bodies grew even closer together.

Without the music to guide them, and having lost the dancing stance almost completely, they stood in place, still exchanging gestures of affection. Soon, however, the situation dawned upon them, and both were too nervous to keep going - what if the other found their actions strange? It was only a lesson, after all!

However, while they both felt forced to stop moving, none had the strength to step away from each other's arms. Asbel remained clinging to Richard, almost in fear of what would happen next.

"Asbel... You... You did fantastic. Of course... in the actual courting, both parties should be... demonstrating... their feelings." Richard's voice seemed to be getting quieter and more nervous each moment, and Asbel hoped it wasn't his fault; what if Richard was picking up on something he shouldn't? But Richard was still holding Asbel, so maybe everything was still fine, right?

As if reading Asbel's thoughts, Richard took a step away, though their fingers remained interlocked. The king took a deep breath, and resumed, "During the dance, it's important to pay attention to any signals the... _lady_ might be sending. If she isn't showing interest, then you should interrupt the dance sooner and halt the courting act. However... if she is returning your gestures, then once the dance is over, you may proceed to the next step."

"Are you... are you going to demonstrate it, Richard?" Asbel hoped he would.

"Demonstrate...? Well... this part isn't as practical, so... Still, I can try. And I can demonstrate what... what will come next." Richard watched as Asbel nodded, and so he resumed, "After the dance, you should guide the lady to a quieter place - such as the garden or a balcony - and there, simply... converse with her. Learn more about her life, her family, her hobbies..."

"Oh... Yeah, I don't think you could demonstrate that... You know everything about me already, Richard."

"...And you, me, Asbel."

There was a silence, as both wondered how true their statements were. Eventually, it was broken by Richard, "As the couple speaks, watching for signals is as important as always, Asbel. You need to be sure that she is ready for... for the next step."

Asbel stared blankly, not understanding what his friend meant. "And... that is...?"

Richard shifted his gaze, his nervousness getting the best of him. "Have you... have you ever kissed anyone, Asbel?"

The lord froze, his cheeks gaining a shade of pink. "I... No." He was sure that being kissed by Richard after the party at Yu Liberte had been a drunken dream, and dreams obviously shouldn't count - as much as Asbel wished they did.

"Oh... I see..." Richard replied. Asbel wanted to ask him the same question, but he lacked the nerve for it. And where was this conversation going, anyway? It wasn't like... it wasn't possible...

Richard resumed, "At... at this point, Asbel, you should be as gentle as possible. You mustn't, in any circumstances, be forcing yourself on the other party." Richard's hand moved slowly, until his fingers rested lightly upon Asbel's cheek.

Asbel's eyes widened, and he remembered what he had asked for: Richard's demonstration. But this... this... _No. No, this isn't going to happen._

"Everything... everything about courting should always convey your feelings..." Richard's hand now cupped Asbel's cheek, his fingers playing with Asbel's earlobe.

_He wouldn't. He wouldn't do this. That would be going too far._

"And so... when you're certain that this is what you should do..." Richard ran his thumb across Asbel's lips, his face getting so close that Asbel could feel the warmth of his breath.

_Why, why do this to someone you don't love? Aren't you getting married?_

Richard closed his eyes, and time seemed to stop. That would be it; that would break Asbel, once and for good. His mask, his resolve, all would shatter. He'd never be able to look at Richard again - not in the same way. Yet he was powerless to back away, and the next thing he knew...

His own eyes were closed, and he could feel Richard's lips upon his own.

And that was all it took for Asbel to lose it. If he knew he would be broken, that everything would be ruined, why hold back?

Why not take what he wanted, what he'd never have again?

As his brain ceased thinking, Asbel's hands moved around Richard, pulling him closer. He pressed his lips further against Richard's, trying to pry them apart; they gave away almost instantly, and Asbel hungrily thrust his tongue inside. Richard flinched in his arms, shocked; but it lasted only for a moment, and then he was returning the kiss with as much ardor as Asbel himself.

Asbel felt fingers running through his hair, an arm around his waist, Richard's body pressing against his own. He deepened the kiss and tightened his hold around Richard, even though it was impossible for them to get closer - and yet, Asbel was desperate for more contact, to feel every inch of Richard against him, to hold him so strongly he'd never, ever pull away.

And soon the kiss wasn't exclusive to the lips, as Richard's mouth went to Asbel's ear, neck, collarbones, biting and licking and sucking with such force as to leave marks, to make it clear that Asbel was _his_ \- and then he trailed the same path back, ending once more against Asbel's lips. Asbel wanted to do the same to Richard, to kiss that soft pale skin that he always kept hidden under so much fabric, but that stupid cravat was in the way and Asbel wouldn't be able to undo that damned thing in his state. And so, all Asbel could do was tighten his fingers around those golden locks, pulling Richard even _closer_ , doing all that biting and licking and sucking on his lips instead.

A long time they spent grasping desperately at each other, taking what they had craved for so many months, pouring their fears and doubts into untamed kisses. They refused to stop, to let go, even as their lips felt sore and chapped, even as their muscles hurt with tension. Only when they felt as if they couldn't even _breathe_ , they pulled apart, in a swift, violent motion...

And began screaming almost incoherent words at each other.

" _ASBEL WHY WERE YOU SO COLD TO ME WHY WERE YOU SO DISTANT WHAT DID I DO WRONG please don't shut yourself from me please don't abandon me"_

" _RICHARD WHY ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED WHY DID YOU NEVER SAY ANYTHING TO ME please don't leave me please don't trade me for someone else"_

" _Asbel what are you talking about I would never marry anyone I would never want anyone over you"_

" _But those letter I saw letters on your desk and I thought- I thought- RICHARD-"_

And they broke into another kiss, one even more desperate than before, moved by feelings that were too long bottled up; it was an anxious, clumsy kiss, with constant clashing of teeth, with hands that didn't know where to grasp, clawing wildly at each other's bodies. It attempted to say everything they could not say, how much they had suffered, how afraid they had been, and how mad, how _unspeakably_ mad they were for each other.

In contrast to the previous kiss, this one was brief; for this time, they had actually forgotten to keep breathing - and as they pulled away, gasping for air and gripping the front of each other's clothes, their eyes met...

And there was silence. No words needed to be spoken; for at that moment, they both finally understood that their feelings were one and the same. All the insecurity melted away from their minds, all the fear seeped out of their bodies - and they smiled. A soft, warm smile, as warm as the two pairs of hands that now intertwined their fingers.

And again, they kissed - but this time, it was different. It lacked the bottled up lust of the first kiss, or the anxious desperation of the second; it was a tender, slow kiss, one that conveyed everything that they had failed to put into words. A kiss that said _'I love you'_.

Their lips parted, as slowly as they had met, and with that same tranquility the two shifted into an embrace. Their breathing had calmed, their heartbeat had steadied, and in each other's arms, they felt safer than they had ever felt.

And as Asbel looked back at the past months, at all the time he spent together with Richard, at everything they went through... he was thrown back to that one night, when Richard so enthusiastically stated he would instruct Asbel on how to be a gentleman. And now, he finally realized that etiquette was _far_ from the greatest thing Richard had taught him.

Asbel's most important lesson had been what it meant to love - and how sweet it felt to be loved back.


	14. Epilogue

Richard woke in a cold, empty bed - the way his bed always felt when Asbel wasn't in it. He knew, however, that the following night would be an Asbel night, and that was enough to make him step out of the sheets with a smile upon his face.

Three months had passed since the day Richard and Asbel confessed their feelings. Or, more precisely, three months and one week; Richard always treasured that date, the one belonging to the happiest day in his life. Over that period, Asbel made a trip to the capital once every week. He'd leave Lhant late in the afternoon - when he was done with his work - to arrive in Barona late in the evening. There, he was always welcomed with a warm meal, a warm bed, and even warmer arms. He stayed for one night only, for Asbel had to get back to his duties, but that single night always granted Richard enough sweet memories to last an entire week.

However, the importance of the present day went beyond Richard and Asbel's romance. This happened to be the one-year anniversary of the day Fodra's core had been stopped - and the first time the entire party would get together after a whole year. Richard had offered to throw a private celebration in the castle, and the rest of the group had gladly accepted. And that was all to it at first; however, only a week before the actual date, it grew into something more. It had been an Asbel night; and at dawn, when the lord was about to leave, he said, "Hey, Richard, why don't we use the party to tell everyone about... about us?"

And so, in Richard's head, celebrating-saving-the-world day turned into coming-out-to-his-friends day.

Now, morning had turned into afternoon, and it was a matter of minutes until Asbel and Sophie's arrival. Richard paced around the room that had been specially decorated with sopherias, trying to prepare himself for the first, and hardest, revelation.

Two voices in unison soon claimed his attention; "Richard!"

He turned to meet Asbel and Sophie, all but running in his direction, and then hugging him both at once. They pulled away, and once Richard saw their beaming smiles, he couldn't help but feel a weight lift off his heart.

Sophie said, "Asbel, look at all the sopherias!" and soon dashed away, her eyes shining as they took in the stunning decoration. Asbel and Richard were left chuckling, and once the girl was far enough, they exchanged glances.

"I missed you," Asbel said, gently taking hold of Richard's hand.

Richard squeezed his lover's fingers, before replying, "So did I, Asbel."

"So... we're doing this, right?"

There was a pause. Richard shifted his eyes towards Sophie's direction, and saw her playing with one of the sopheria arrangements. He watched as she moved a flower just a bit to the left, only to return it to the initial position, and then adjust it to the right.

"How... how do you think she will react?" The king asked, hesitantly.

"Richard, don't worry about it. It will be okay," Asbel replied, and then, raising his voice, he added, "Hey, Sophie, come here!"

In reflex, Richard tried to move his hand away from Asbel's - but found his fingers tightly bound by his. Richard's heart increased in pace; would Sophie find the way they were holding hands strange? Would she suspect something? Would she be disgusted?

...And why did it matter? They would be telling her everything now. And how would she react? Would she hate Richard? Would she never forgive him?

She now stood in front of them, tilting her head to one side. Asbel said, "Sophie, we have something to tell you." He gave his lover's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Richard, why don't you begin?"

Richard felt his mouth go dry, and he looked at Asbel in desperation; but he was met with calm eyes, and a sincere smile. His heart steadied a bit, and he mustered enough courage to say, "Sophie, Asbel and I... we are..."

The words suddenly escaped him, but Asbel intervened, "We're together, Sophie."

The girl blinked, tilting her head in her usual fashion. She waited, as if expecting Asbel to say something more, but once he didn't, she blurted, "We three are together right now."

"N-No," Asbel stuttered, realizing that his words were misunderstood. "I meant that... w-we..."

"Asbel and I are in love."

Richard had no idea from where he summoned the boldness to say it, but the words left his lips, and it was too late to take them back. He was about to regret it deeply, except...

Sophie was smiling - her usual beautiful, radiant smile. She looked up, purple eyes shining, and said, "I'm happy."

Richard realized that Asbel was also grinning, but the king himself couldn't do anything other than blink in confusion. Sophie must've misunderstood it again, he thought. In an attempt to clear matters, he asked, "Sophie, why... why are you happy?"

She tilted her head, still smiling. "Because when two people are in love, it means they're happy, right? And if you and Asbel are happy, then I'm happy, too."

"But... Sophie, are you not shocked? We... we are both men."

"I know," she stated, not understanding Richard's bewilderment. "Does it make a difference?"

Richard opened his mouth to speak - and then closed it on second thought. There was no misunderstanding. Sophie was right; they loved each other, and that was all that mattered. In all her innocence, she was the one who could truly see love without the taints of society's prejudices. She saw love in its purest form.

"It doesn't, Sophie," he finally answered, smiling.

In response, the girl held a hand to Richard, and the other to Asbel, closing a circle between the three of them. Her face was radiant in its happiness.

"That means I have two daddies now."

* * *

The sky had been a deep azure when Asbel and Sophie arrived, but now it possessed a pronounce tint of orange. The duo from Lhant had settled in their chambers - at Sophie's insistence, she would sleep alone, and Asbel would stay with Richard - and then returned to the room where the party would be held. Now, in addition to the decoration, a generous buffet waited for the remaining guests. Richard had to be quite stern in order to prevent Asbel and Sophie from eating before the rest of the group arrived.

Malik was the first to walk into the room, announcing his presence with a deep "Seems like I'm early, eh?" The trio turned to his direction, smiling; although, individually, they had seen the captain a few times in the past year, it was the first occasion they all were together at once.

"You're perfectly on time, Malik," Richard declared. "Flawless punctuality, I must say."

"You flatter me, Your Highness," he replied. "It's good to see you outside a formal meeting, King Richard."

"Yet you insist on addressing me formally. You contradict yourself, Malik," he said, chuckling.

"It's hard to force an old man out of his habits." He then turned to Asbel and Sophie. "How is my favorite little family?"

"We're great, Captain," they both answered in unison, and then laughed at each other.

"Good, good!" Malik paused, taking a moment to stare at both Richard and Asbel. The pair flushed under his gaze, exchanging a nervous glance, and the captain couldn't help but smirk. "I'm sure you two are great as well, eh? In more ways than one." He winked, teasingly.

Asbel stuttered for words, but Richard intervened; "Malik..."

The captain froze at the king's serious tone.

"...Thank you."

Seeing Richard's voice and expression soften, Malik smiled. "You're both welcome. I'm glad I was able to help a couple of awkward lovebirds."

True to Malik's words, the young couple flushed embarrassingly. Richard tried to regain his composure by offering to show him the buffet table.

Asbel pouted. "Oh, so _he_ can eat?"

"Well, Asbel, we are now past the scheduled start of the party - so everyone can eat."

"Don't worry, Asbel," Malik interrupted, smirking, "I'm sure Richard will let you eat all you want when you two are alone tonight."

Both men turned crimson, while Sophie simply tilted her head in confusion. "Why would Richard let that, Captain?"

"Oh, I will tell you later, Sophie," Malik replied, with a hearty chuckle.

Asbel's face gained another shade of pink. "C-Captain! Don't teach her that!"

A high-pitched voice interrupted their exchange; "Is Captain Malik being silly again?"

The group turned in the direction of the newly-arrived guest. Cheria stood by the door, arms crossed, frowning.

"Really, Captain! I can't turn my back on you for a minute, and you're already filling Sophie's head with- I don't even want to ask what! UN-BELIEVABLE!" She rested a hand on her hip, the other pointing a finger at Malik's apologetic (and amused) face.

"Cheria!" Sophie ran towards her, hugging her tightly once they were close. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Sophie," Cheria answered, smiling gently. "I'm sorry for not stopping by Lhant more often, I've been so busy!"

The rest of the group now stood around the newcomer, greeting her fondly. "I did hear wonders about your relief foundation, Cheria. Your new project is absolutely fantastic," Richard said.

"Indeed," Malik added, "I keep hearing about it and I can't help but feeling proud."

Asbel looked confused. "Um... What is this new project everyone but me knows about?"

"Asbel!" Cheria blurted out, "Why am I not surprised? You never pay attention to anything!"

The lord scratched the back of his head, an embarrassed smile on his face. He had to admit Cheria was right.

"Asbel," Richard started, "Cheria's foundation is creating an academy for healers."

Cheria smiled. "Richard is right. Since very few people can use magic, we'll be teaching a more accessible form of healing - medicine!" Her voice rose with her excitement. "The healers who graduate will be sent to many parts of the world, so people everywhere will be able to get treatment. We're already sending small groups to remote areas, too! They have no doctors there, so..." She paused. "Sorry, I didn't mean to lecture!"

Despite Cheria's apology, the rest of the group was grinning. Her passion for helping others was admirable, and if it was up to them, they wouldn't mind letting her go on and on about her efforts. "You shouldn't apologize, Cheria," Malik spoke for the party, "I'm sure everyone agrees that seeing you this happy is enough to make up for the lecture." He paused, smirking. "I do, at least."

Cheria giggled, blushing softly. "Always so gallant, Captain!"

"Heh, when one gets this old, they have to rely on flattery to seduce pretty girls," he teased.

There was a collective laughter as Malik was playfully slapped over the head by the healer, and once it faded away, Richard stepped in to show Cheria the buffet. She quickly noticed the grilled chicken - of course, Richard made a point of instructing the cook on the party's favorite dishes - and she was in the process of grabbing a generous serving when everyone's attention was once more turned to the entrance.

"Heeey, everyone! Sorry for being late!" Pascal stood by the door, her arm wrapped around a very flushed Hubert's neck.

"It's your fault we're late, Pascal! If you didn't-"

"Shush, Hu, it's party time! Can I get a banana cocktail before you start nagging?"

For the third time, the party flocked to greet the newcomer - or, more precisely, newcomer _s_.

"Hey, Hubert, Pascal!" Asbel said, "You two came together?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Hubert retorted, pushing up his glasses. "Your observational skills are as remarkable as always, Brother!"

Asbel scratched the back of his head sheepishly, and Richard intervened, "Come, Hubert, I'm sure it was a rhetorical question." He turned to the Amarcian, "Are you staying in Yu Liberte for your research on Duplemar, Pascal?"

She grinned. "Yep! And Hu was even as nice as to..."

"P-P-Pascal, don't-"

"...Let me stay at his house!"

Hubert flushed to a deep scarlet, his gaze dropping to the floor as the rest of the party stared at him, full of smirks.

"Guess you've made some progress, eh, Hubert?" Malik teased.

The lieutenant looked up, still red, his face twisted in his usual frown. "T-There is no progress to speak of!"

Pascal, whose arm had never left Hubert's neck, now turned sideways to wrap her other arm around him. "I don't know about any progress, too! All I know is that..." she paused, pressing her lips against Hubert's cheek, "We're the bestest of friends!"

For a while, Hubert remained frozen, his eyes wide as he stared at the Amarcian who still had her arms around his neck. Then, as if suddenly realizing he was being watched, he mumbled something unintelligible and shoved her away gently - or as gently as a shove could be. There was a collective laughter that only hastened Hubert's transformation into a tomato, and the poor lieutenant stuttered his way out of his embarrassment; "I-I'm getting something to eat!"

He shuffled to the buffet table, with Pascal trailing behind him. However, Asbel's voice stopped them on their tracks; "H-Hey, you two... Mind waiting a bit? Richard and I have... something to say."

Upon hearing Asbel's words, Richard felt his breath grow short and his heart slip out of pace. His gaze wandered along the many pair of eyes that now turned to him, and he felt more exposed than he had ever felt. What he was about to do was too difficult. It was too much for him. Even with Asbel by his side, it seemed as if the space between them was an abyss; he felt alone, and lost, and _scared_. His terror only escalated with every passing moment, as those inquiring eyes seemed to burn holes through his skin.

But suddenly, he felt something different. Warm fingers, enveloping his own; and he turned to see _Asbel_ , smiling as beautifully as ever. And he knew he wasn't alone, and he would never be alone anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Richard finally spoke. "Everyone, Asbel and I..." - and a second voice joined his own - _"we're in love with each other."_

At that moment, the five faces that had been staring at them reacted in their own unique way.

Sophie merely smiled. She had already heard this confession before, and she was happy to hear it again.

Malik, in turn, gave his typical smirk. The revelation was no news to him, although hearing it formally was certainly amusing.

Pascal squealed and started a succession of little jumps, blubbering almost incoherent words in the highest pitch her voice had ever been heard.

Cheria blinked in confusion for a fraction of a second, and then smiled softly. Her initial surprise was quickly replaced by the notion that this was, in truth, almost expected. In her eyes, only a subtle hint of sorrow could be seen.

And Hubert...

" _YOU ARE WHAT?!"_

Asbel jumped back in astonishment from Hubert's outburst. He would've fallen quite ungracefully if Richard hadn't been quick enough to hold him; however, the fact that Asbel was now neatly enclosed by Richard's arms did little to alleviate the situation.

"Y-You... What are you even thinking, Asbel?!" The indignant lieutenant took a step forward to grab his brother's collar, wrenching him from his lover's arms. "You're both men! How do you expect to-"

Hubert was interrupted by the pressure of a large hand on his shoulder. Malik spoke, "C'mon, Hubert. Don't tell me you didn't see this coming."

"See this coming...? Wait, do you mean..." And finally, looking at the rest of the group, Hubert realized he was the only one in the room shocked by the revelation. "How... how did you all..."

Asbel scratched the back of his head, blushing slightly. "It's okay, Hubert. It's probably a brothers' thing. I was also the last to figure out your feelings for Pas-"

He was interrupted by Hubert's hand pressing against his mouth, as the lieutenant yelled a flustered _'SHUT UP'_. They both turned to look at Pascal, finding the Amarcian blinking in confusion, a faint tinge of pink upon her cheeks. She then stuttered something about wanting to eat banana pies, and ran off to the buffet table, drawing a round of laughter out of the rest of the group (other than Hubert, obviously).

The flushed lieutenant exhaled, attempting to calm down, and then turned once more to his brother. "I suppose I can't judge you. It's indeed impossible to control who you fall in love with." He then gave Richard an apologetic glance, and shuffled after Pascal.

With both Hubert and Pascal gone, Malik stepped up, "Well, I suppose we all should grab a bite now." He watched as Sophie and Cheria moved first; then, once they were out of earshot, he turned to Asbel and Richard, smirking, "Though you two should leave the grabbing and biting for later."

"C-Captain!" Asbel blushed, his color reminding his brother's a few moments ago.

Richard, whose cheeks had also reddened a bit, said, "At least he didn't blurt that remark in front of Sophie."

Malik gave his usual hearty chuckle, and moved to eat with the rest of the party, leaving Asbel and Richard alone. In their new-found privacy - relative privacy, given that the group was still within earshot - they interlaced their fingers, and gave each other hands' a gentle squeeze. Richard turned to see Asbel's heterochromatic eyes shining, his mouth curved into a smile, and he was tempted to feel those lips with his own - but with everyone being so close, he didn't dare it.

And yet, before Richard realized it, Asbel leaned in and pressed his lips to his. He remained there for a second, and then moved away with a deep blush upon his cheeks.

"C'mon, Richard," Asbel said, face still pink as he lead his lover through fingers that remained interlocked, "Let's go join everyone."

And Richard smiled, his heart as warm as the fingers around his own.

* * *

As late afternoon shifted into early evening, Richard carefully observed his esteemed guests. Being the host, it was his obligation to make sure no one lacked for food, drink, or amusement; but he had a second - and greater - reason to pay close attention to his friends: he wanted to see how they reacted to his and Asbel's relationship.

To Richard's delight, everyone was more than accepting. Sophie's smile was as radiant as it had been when she first heard the news; Malik never stopped teasing them; Pascal went on and on about how utterly adorable they looked together, and squealed loudly whenever they made any form of physical contact; and even Hubert, who had been shocked at first, apologized for his outburst and gave his sincere approval.

And yet, one pair of eyes still held a subtle hint of sorrow to them. Even the beautiful smile that accompanied them could not conceal the truth from Richard; he knew quite well how it felt to hide one's suffering behind a mask. The longer he looked at that expression, the faster his feeling of guilt escalated, until he was compelled to do something. He was terrified that he might choose the wrong words and only increase the sorrow behind those eyes, but he could no longer remain in silence.

"Cheria, may I have a word with you at the balcony? The evening breeze is quite pleasant this time of the year."

The girl turned, a little surprised, but quickly went back to smiling. "Sure, Richard. And the breeze in Barona is pleasant all year round, in my opinion."

He smiled back, walking with her to the balcony. "I certainly agree with that, but I didn't want to boast about my city, as lovely as it is."

Cheria chuckled, and once they stood outside, feeling the fresh wind and gazing at the soft glow of Gloandi, she asked, "So, what is it you want to talk about?"

Richard took a deep breath and cleared his throat, before answering, "I would like to fund your project, Cheria."

His words were followed by a long pause. Cheria's gaze fell to the floor, where it remained for a few moments, before returning to the monarch's face. "Richard, are you... are you offering that out of guilt?"

He froze. Cheria's eyes were locked upon his, and he felt trapped under her gaze. He fumbled for words, but found himself unable to produce any, and his eyes fled her face in shame. How could she see through him so easily? What must she be thinking right now? Certainly about how despicable he was - to steal the man she loved and then make the condescending act of offering _money_ as consolation. And he couldn't even hope to make Asbel half as happy as Cheria could; unlike her, Richard wouldn't be able to marry him, or bear him children, or even spend more than one night a week by his side. He should never have talked him out of his engagement, much less chased after him - not when he was so unworthy of his affection.

"Richard."

The monarch looked up, meeting Cheria's eyes. They still had that edge of sorrow, but now he could see something else underneath - compassion. The one feeling that Cheria would never renounce.

"You shouldn't feel guilty about being with Asbel. It's not your fault that you fell in love with him, or that... that he loved you back."

Richard's eyes were wide, and he tried opening his mouth to speak, but struggled to form a single word.

"You know," Cheria resumed, "Asbel is... he is happier than he has ever been. I can tell. I've... I've always watched him." She paused, stealing a quick glance back at the room, before returning to look at Richard again. "I know you've always watched him too, Richard. If you pay attention, you'll realize that what I've said is true."

Almost automatically, Richard looked inside. He found Asbel standing, saying something to the group. He could not hear what it was, but then the lord gracefully performed a variation of the Windorian greeting, in an obvious attempt to boast. The rest of the group clapped enthusiastically, and Richard saw it - the beaming smile on Asbel's face. His lips forming words that undoubtedly were _'Richard taught me'_.

Richard raised a hand to his mouth, trying to hold back forming tears as he suddenly realized how foolish he had been. He had always worried about being unable to make Asbel happy - when Asbel had already been happy all along. And Cheria, of all people, was the one to point that out. How much had this hurt for her?

"Cheria, I'm- I'm so sorry-"

"Richard, please... I told you, it's not your fault. And, if you really want to make it up to me... do it by promising you'll take good care of Asbel, okay?"

Richard was almost speechless. The girl in front of him was truly an angel. He felt a smile return to his face, and said, "I promise, Cheria. Making Asbel happy is... what I want the most in the world."

Cheria smiled back. "It's settled, then. But if you break your promise, I'll kick your butt, okay?"

They both laughed in unison, brightening the mood around them. Once it died down, Cheria grew serious once more. "I... I may never be able to forget Asbel, but I can move on. I _will_ move on." She paused. "Besides, now that I'm not getting married, I have all the time in the world to work with the relief foundation. And I realized that... to me, it means a lot more than having a husband and kids. In a way, the foundation is my family." She raised a finger to scratch her cheek timidly. "I guess I fell in love with it."

Richard watched the sheer passion in the girl's eyes - the passion that was not directed at one person, but at the whole of humanity. The passion to help each and every person.

And it was amazing.

"I want to fund your project, Cheria."

Her brow furrowed. "Richard, I told you-"

"No, Cheria. I really do mean it. The way you talked about your foundation - the way you always talk about your foundation - it moved me. I admire you deeply, and I want to help you in whatever way I can."

Cheria placed a hand in front of her mouth. "Oh, my! To be admired by the king himself! I'm honored!" She smiled as the monarch chuckled, before switching to a more serious tone, "Thank you, Richard. I really appreciate it." Then, gesturing to the group inside the room, she added, "We can discuss business later. Right now, I think our friends must be missing us."

Richard smiled, following Cheria back inside. They arrived to a very lively scene; from the looks of it, Asbel was still showing off the results of his makeover into a gentleman.

"Oh, Your Highness!" Malik remarked, upon noticing Richard's presence, "You proved to be an even more gifted instructor than myself."

"Indeed," Hubert added, "You brought about quite the miracle, King Richard."

Asbel was frowning, about to protest, but Richard intervened, "Please. I did nothing spectacular. I was the one lucky to have such a wonderful student," he finished with a loving glance at Asbel, which effectively cleared the frown from his face... and prompted a squeal from Pascal.

"You guys are just so perfect!" The Amarcian exclaimed, falling back into the couch and nearly spilling the sixth glass of banana cocktail she had been drinking. She then paused to chug the rest of her drink, mumbling something about _'can't let any go to waste'_ , and placed the empty glass on a nearby table. "Heeey, Richard! Can I have another one?"

Before Richard could answer, Hubert burst out, "Absolutely not! You're already _past_ drunk, Pascal!"

"Aww, Hu!" She shuffled in the couch, moving to throw her arms around Hubert's neck, who was sitting next to her. "Pretty please? You're my best friend, right?"

"And it's exactly because I care about you that I'm not letting you drink any further!" He stopped to untangle himself from Pascal, a red flush across his cheeks. "A-And will you stop with this 'best friends' talk?"

She took a moment to stare at him, before moving away timidly. "But... aren't we best friends? Like Asbel and Richard?"

Hubert was about to protest in his usual fashion, when something dawned on him. He slowly turned towards Pascal, staring at her with wide eyes, and repeating her words in disbelief, "Like... Asbel... and Richard...?"

She nodded shyly, a soft blush on her cheeks. "Y-Yeah... just like them."

Hubert's gaze fell to his lap, his face redder than ever, as he suddenly grew conscious of the many spectators to the scene. Both he and Pascal remained in silence, fidgeting nervously, until Richard announced; "I suppose it is getting quite late. Hubert, would you mind taking Pascal to her room? I believe she will need your help."

The lieutenant looked up, nodded anxiously, and proceeded to stumble out of the room with Pascal around his neck. Once the pair was gone, the rest of the group took their time to share smiles and chuckles.

"I hope they can work things out now," Cheria said, smiling. "But Richard has a point; it's pretty late! C'mon, Sophie, let's go off to bed." She took the girl by the hand, and waved goodnight to the party. Sophie smiled and repeated the gesture, and soon they disappeared behind the doorframe, leaving the three men alone.

Malik didn't take his time before starting, "Well, then-"

"Captain, if you're gonna tease us again-"

"No, Asbel," Malik chuckled, "As tempted as I am to slip a comment about how eager for bed you two must be," he smiled as Asbel and Richard each raised an eyebrow, "I actually meant to be serious for once." He paused. "You... you do know this will be very difficult for the both of you, right?"

Richard felt the back of Asbel's hand touch his own, and he reached to interlock their fingers. "Yes, Malik. We do."

"I... I don't want to be grim, but I care too much about you two, and therefore I feel the need to warn you. As time goes on, hiding it will only get harder, and not spending enough time together will be taxing. Not to mention marriages and heirs, which both of you will have to face eventually."

Asbel squeezed Richard's hand. "We know, Captain. And we... we're prepared to face anything."

Richard nodded in agreement, and Malik smiled. "Good. I'm really happy for you both, you know." He patted their shoulders. "We all are."

The young couple smiled back, holding each other's hand tightly, as Malik left for his own room. Once the older man was gone, Asbel turned to Richard, still smiling. "We're finally alone."

The monarch smirked. "Oh, Asbel. I planned to wait until we were in my chamber, but if you're so eager, we can do it here."

"R-Richard!" Asbel blushed, letting go of his lover's hand to give him a playful smack on his chest. "If you keep joking about that, one day I'll accept and a servant might walk on the King of Windor doing something very embarrassing."

Richard laughed, and pecked Asbel on the cheek. "It would be worth it, though."

"Y-Yeah, right." He turned as if to leave the room, but caught a glimpse of something through the window. "Hey... Gloandi seems to be so bright tonight."

Making for his lover's hand again, Richard said, "Let's go outside, Asbel."

Asbel nodded, and they walked over to the balcony. From there, they could see the sleeping city, most lights gone at this time of the night. Beyond it, the ocean stretched for as far as the eye could see; but the most breathtaking view was, without a doubt, the beautiful green glow of the Valkines. It bathed the city in a soft light, and dominated the dark, moonless sky. Only Foselos could be seen behind it, revolving slowly in its endless endeavor to protect Ephinea.

And there they stood, in silence, admiring how _right_ everything was. Despite the strife that had plagued the world only a year ago, and all the struggles that had happened before it, the planet now seemed like it had never known anything other than blissful, absolute peace.

Richard and Asbel were the same. So much had happened, so many battles had been fought, so many times they believed that they would lose each other - and yet, there they stood. Together. They had conquered the worst that came at them, and they knew they had the strength to face any obstacle that the future could bring.

They turned to meet each other's gaze. Slowly, Richard raised his hand to gently cup Asbel's cheek, and he felt warm fingers against his own skin as Asbel did the same. They were smiling, the same tender smile they always shared when they were by each other's side. Only a few inches separated their faces, and that distance was slowly reduced as they leaned in, and their lips met. They shared a deep, slow kiss, taking full advantage of their first moment alone after an entire week.

Once they had satisfied their cravings for each other's warmth, they pulled away, looking at Gloandi one more time before turning and heading toward their room, hand in hand. At that moment, they were sure that, as long as they remained together, everything would always be right.

And they knew that together, they would stand, until the end of their days.


End file.
